CURB Welcomes Akhila Gopal, PhD, to the Team

CURB is excited to welcome Akhila Gopal as our new Endeavor Community Engagement & Environmental Science Fellow! This unique 2-year fellowship involves teaching one course per semester at the college in environmental science and working half-time at CURB as a scientific advisor and instructor for educational programs for students of all ages.

Akhila comes to us with a background in ecology and evolutionary biology, with doctoral research focused on the life history and behavioral thermophysiology of desert lizards. Alongside her research, she has spent the past decade working with organizations across the country in informal science education and community outreach, helping students and community members engage with science, explore their local ecosystems, and learn about the wildlife around them.

A major focus of Akhila’s work will be performing data analysis and creating data visualizations using CURB’s vast library of data, including 20+ years of seining data and 10+ years of eel monitoring and water quality data. The goal is to use these analyses and visualizations to better communicate and share the story of our research in a more engaging and accessible way for our students and the broader community.

The fellowship is made possible through the generous support of Endeavor Foundation.