Zoe Duerksen-Salm

Bio
Zoe Duerksen-Salm graduated in December 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in Evolutionary Anthropology from the University of California, Davis. Intrigued by characteristic and behavioral similarities among primates, Zoe concentrated her undergraduate studies on human-wildlife interactions, species resilience, and the effects of human activity on wildlife ecology. At the California National Primate Research Center, she worked as the lead student research assistant on a study assessing interactions and attitudes toward rhesus macaques in Southeast Asia. After graduating from UC Davis, Zoe transitioned her career to tackle the importance of environmental communication in successful public outreach. As the Conservation Program Coordinator at SaveNature.Org, she explored the need for feasible conservation focused on educational outreach and management techniques to minimize human-wildlife conflicts. Zoe developed the organization’s public presence through social media, fundraising events, curriculum development, and education management. At the Bren School, Zoe intends to specialize in Conservation Planning to address the increasingly complex implications of human opinion and activity on the preservation of worldwide biodiversity.