MEDS 2025
Pronouns: she/her
Bio
Currently a UCSB Master of Environmental Data Science student, Josephine has a passion for problem-solving issues around climate change, natural resource protection, and food security facing our agriculture industry. Prior to her return to school, Josephine worked as a civil engineer in the Northern Mariana Islands for the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service. During her two and a half years working with historically underserved farmers in the remote Pacific islands, Josephine's perspective and understanding of how data science can significantly advance and benefit her work grew.
She graduated from McGill University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Engineering and a specialization in geotechnical engineering. As a student, she had the opportunity to work as an undergraduate researcher in McGill's environmental geomechanics lab, under the direction of Dr. A.P.S. Selvadurai, a world-renowned scholar. Her research centered around a granite rock used as a repository for nuclear waste, and inspired Josephine's interest in the environmental sector. After graduating from McGill, she served in the AmeriCorps for the American Conservation Experience, working on public lands, primarily Bryce Canyon and Zion National Parks, and the Leavenworth National Fish Hatchery.
Josephine anticipates continuing her career in agriculture and natural resource protection using her acquired data science skills to broaden her impact.