Skylar is a current PhD student studying tropical plant phenology. Skylar got their undergraduate degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from both Bard College at Simon’s Rock and Central Michigan University, and spent a lot of time in the forests of Western Massachusetts, which helped inspire their love of plants. Skylar is also interested in herbarium collections and advocating for increased support for herbarium based research. Skylar is an advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and has worked with, and is a part of many communities including the LGBTQ+ community and the Indigenous community. Skylar hopes to advocate for more diversity in STEM and in EBIO in particular.

Angie is a current Master’s student in the Museum and Field Studies program and a graduate assistant in the COLO Herbarium. Before moving to Colorado, she earned her undergraduate degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida where she spent a lot of time hanging out in various swamps. Angie is particularly interested in the community ecology within the lichen microbiome! For her Master’s thesis, Angie is investigating the associations between micro-invertebrates and lichen species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. She is also looking forward to honing her herbaria curatorial skillset. In her spare time, Angie likes to garden, hike and continue to learn about the natural world!