Cristina Mancilla

Pronouns: she/her/hers

Bio
Cristina Mancilla graduated from Williams College with a Bachelor of Art in Biology and Environmental Studies and a concentration in Maritime Studies in 2020. As an undergrad, Cristina explored a diversity of research interests in ecology which led her to Mystic, CT to study ctenophores and cloud forests in Ecuador to study butterflies. These projects cumulated in a year-long honors thesis on plant-pollinator interactions in the Northeast. Cristina and her research team identified over 18,000 insect interactions in order to understand the resiliency and composition of multiple plant-pollinator networks. Through her work, she recognized the importance of pollinator conservation and plans to specialize in Conservation Planning at the Bren School to increase pollinator habitat in urban environments.
 
 Cristina is also passionate about making the outdoor narrative and space more inclusive for people of color and diversifying the environmental sector more broadly. After graduating, Cristina worked for a non-profit as a public-lands engagement fellow where she organized outings for African-American and Hispanic students. As a volunteer for Latino Outdoors, she advocates for inclusivity in outdoor spaces and engages the Latinx community in the Inland Empire, CA. Throughout her professional career, Cristina will increase ethic representation in the environmental field through college access advocacy, mentorship, and inclusive workplace practices.