For the past six years, I’ve been involved in oyster restoration monitoring and research at the University of Maryland (the photo included was taken by Dr. Don Meritt on one such oyster survey). As I enter my third year as a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology, I am pairing my background in coastal ecology with training in anthropology in order to foster better connections between fisheries resource management and the communities impacted by resource policy. My dissertation research broadly focuses on the development of oyster aquaculture in the Chesapeake Bay, the composition and motivation of those currently involved in aquaculture, and future considerations related to oyster aquaculture and management. Within the department, I have served as a Teaching Assistant for two courses, ANTH222: Introduction to Ecological and Evolutionary Anthropology and ANTH266: Changing Climate, Changing Cultures. In addition, I organize a monthly brown-bag lunch series that features ecologically and environmentally-themed research and discussions--E-Lunch…you should attend!