Emma Cadena Aldaz
Emma is a third year at Harvard College from Stamford, Connecticut studying Integrative Biology with a secondary in Environmental Science & Public Policy (ESPP). She is particularly interested in conservation biology, environmental: law, justice, & policy, and biodiversity. She is also interested in the technical side of this with coursework and experience in: R, Python, and QGIS.
Emma has prior research experience in insect ecology and phylogenetics. Insect neuroscience / vision and their respective ecologies. This past summer she did research via the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduate (REU) at Harvard Forest with Harvard Forest Bullard Fellow, Ahmed Siddig. She did research at Harvard’s Forest Climate Interactions with Forest Fragmentation (CLIFF) attempting to understand how Red-Backed Salamanders are reacting to climate change simulations and various levels of forest fragmentation to understand how they are being affected on a micro-scale.
Emma also has very broad interests across all ecologies and has also worked at the New England Aquarium (NEAQ) as a conservation learning intern. She learned about the various exhibits and world environmental ecologies that the NEAQ present and learned how to interpret these to visitors of the NEAQ across all age levels and varying familiarities on climate change and marine science. Ask her about the animals at the aquarium or anything you want to know about it. Her favorite animal at the NEAQ are probably the cowfish!! They are so cute!!
On campus, Emma is involved in her integrative biology concentration and helps plan events, study breaks, and merch for the other students in her concentration. She’s also involved in Harvard’s Consulting on Business and the Environment (HUCBE), and for fun she is also part of the school’s radio station, WHRB 95.3 FM!
In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, trying Latino spots around the city (shoutout Chelsea), playing Stardew Valley, and listening to way too much music.
The Salata Institute
The Salata Institute supports interdisciplinary research that leads to real-world action, including high-risk/high-reward projects by researchers already working in the climate area and new endeavors that make it easier for Harvard scholars, who have not worked on climate problems, to do so. Faculty interested in the Climate Research Clusters program should note an upcoming deadline for concepts on April 1, 2024.