Kat Cotti

Bio
Kathleen Cotti graduated from the University of California Davis in 2019 with a Bachelor of Science in Animal Science. Kathleen began riding horses at age three. She still rides and now works training young horses and teaching riding lessons. Horses, for her, have always been both a passion and a lifestyle, and she dreamed of becoming an equine veterinarian from a young age. While horses remain a central part of her life, Kathleen’s time at Davis shifted her career direction. Course work discussing the intricate relationship between agriculture and the environment -specifically the environmental impacts of animal production and wild horse conservation and land management -inspired Kathleen to pursue a career in environmental science. A summer volunteer project working in veterinary clinics in rural Guatemala gave her direct exposure to the harsh realities of climate change in an agriculturally dependent nation, and she was introduced to the political and ecological dimensions of conservation strategies during a study abroad program in Banff National Park. Both solidifying her desire to pursue graduateeducation. Kathleen intends to specialize in either Conservation Planning or Corporate Environmental Management at the Bren School. She hopes to expand her knowledge of agricultural management and alleviate catastrophic pollution due to animal agricultureby instituting mainstream, environmentally conscious initiatives into major corporations. Eventually, she would like to combine her equine science background with conservation policy to develop new strategies to better manage wild equine populations and the public land they occupy.