Gund Graduate Fellow Aura M. Alonso-Rodríguez and her advisor, Taylor Ricketts, Ph.D., Professor in the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources (RSENR) and Director of UVM's Gund Institute for the Environment, have been awarded a 2022 Gilliam Fellowship for Advanced Study by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI). The prestigious fellowship recognizes exceptional doctoral students who are on track to be leaders in their fields and who are supported by a faculty mentor possessing a shared commitment to advancing diversity and inclusion in the sciences.
It is a rare accomplishment to be named a Gilliam Fellow. In fact, Alonso-Rodríguez and Ricketts are only the second UVM student-advisor pair to receive the fellowship. They join doctoral candidate Erika Bueno (Plant and Soil Science) and Professor Yolanda Chen who received the fellowship in 2020.
"A unique aspect of this fellowship is that it provides training and support for both the student and advisor to foster development of a more inclusive academic scientific environment within their program and the university," noted Cynthia Forehand, Ph.D., Professor of Neurological Sciences and Dean of the UVM Graduate College, who nominated Alonso-Rodríguez and Ricketts for the award.
The Gilliam Fellowship provides Alonso-Rodríguez funding over the course of three years. During this time, she will be welcomed into the Gilliam Fellows community and will benefit from a number of career-building opportunities, including receiving support for professional development, discipline-specific meetings, courses, and other activities. As a fellow, Alonso-Rodríguez will have the opportunity to present her research at the Gilliam annual meeting and HHMI science meeting, which are great opportunities to highlight her research and network with exceptional scientists.
As Alonso-Rodríguez's advisor, Ricketts will participate in culturally responsive mentorship training and will develop an implementation plan to disseminate mentor training to others at UVM. According to HHMI, he will "learn best practices in improving communication, managing expectations, and developing equitable and inclusive mentoring relationships." Ricketts will receive an allowance to be used for graduate-level diversity and inclusion efforts. Professor Ricketts plans to use the funding to organize a range of outside speakers and workshops for students where they can build networks and professional skills needed to become leaders in diversity and inclusion.
Growing up in the mountains of Puerto Rico certainly influenced Alonso-Rodríguez's areas of interest and path of study. After completing a master's degree in Costa Rica, she worked for the U.S. Forest Service as a project manager for a climate change experiment (TRACE) that focused on understanding the effects of rising temperatures on tropical forests. The TRACE project deepened Alonso-Rodríguez's interest in understanding the effects of human activities and global change on biodiversity and ecosystem services. Alonso-Rodríguez entered the Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources doctoral program as a Gund Institute fellow in fall of 2019 and began working under the mentorship of Professor Taylor Ricketts.
In the Ricketts’ Lab, Alonso-Rodríguez’s research focuses on assessing how socio-ecological systems respond and adapt to disturbances in Puerto Rico. Specifically, she is measuring the ecological resilience of tropical forest moth communities after a large-scale hurricane, as well as the agricultural resilience of diversified farming systems that have prevailed regardless of climatic, socioeconomic, and pandemic pressures. With an interdisciplinary approach—collaborating across disciplines and sectors—Alonso-Rodríguez plans to gain a more holistic understanding of the drivers that influence and enhance resilience for both people and nature. She has established collaborations with a variety of local organizations in Puerto Rico, including the Caribbean Climate Hub, the Luquillo Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) program, and the University of Puerto Rico.
A dedicated mentor and advisor, Ricketts traveled to Puerto Rico this summer to support Alonso-Rodríguez's research and visit her field sites, providing important insights and feedback. This type of involvement is certainly one factor among many that led Alonso-Rodríguez to describe Professor Ricketts as "a very supportive and dedicated mentor who not only listens to my research interests and ideas but also challenges them in a constructive way, helping me think outside of my comfort zone. I like the fact that he is genuinely excited about my projects and invested in my success as a scientist. He always considers my personal and professional goals when providing feedback and direction."
Professor Ricketts understands the mutual benefit of mentoring students like Alonso-Rodríguez. "Recruiting and supporting future leaders in science and sustainability is by far the most important, impactful, and fulfilling part of my job," said Ricketts. "Mentoring brilliant people like Aura is one of the ways I can help the scientific community better represent the society we serve. I am grateful that the Gilliam Fellowship will provide me with training and networks and resources to become a better mentor for Aura and all my students to come."
Alonso-Rodríguez strives to help her peers succeed in science too. She was part of the group of students who launched the UVM SACNAS chapter in the spring of 2020 and has held various leadership roles within the chapter. The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) is a national organization dedicated to fostering the success of students and professionals from historically underrepresented backgrounds who are pursuing advanced degrees, careers, and positions of leadership in STEM fields.
"I’m really excited to join other Gilliam fellows and the HHMI community in promoting diversity and inclusion in the sciences," said Alonso-Rodríguez. "Since moving to the United States, I’ve evidenced first-hand the huge lack of representation of other Latin American women in STEM fields. This is why I felt motivated to join a few other UVM graduate students in launching the first UVM SACNAS chapter. Since 2020, it’s been incredibly rewarding to learn from other Global Majority students and scientists as we support each other in our career journeys and help build a more inclusive and multi-cultural community at UVM."
HHMI has been awarding Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study since 2004. Alonso-Rodríguez and Ricketts join the dynamic and growing community of past and future fellowship recipients.