Field Inclusive Names 2024 Research Grant Recipients

MARCH 18, 2024 | FIELD INCLUSIVE

For immediate release

Contact: Field Inclusive; info@fieldinclusive.org

Narayan Kumar (he/him), My-Lan Le (she/her), and Cheyenne Reuben-Thomas (she/they) are the recipients of a 2024 Field Inclusive (FI) Research Grant.

These research grants, in the amounts of $500, helps to support applicants who participate in natural science field work. Grants can be used towards equipment purchases, field housing, transportation, or technician salary. This year’s grants were sponsored by Wake Audubon Society ($1000) and the Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center ($500); because of these generous sponsors, FI is able to distribute 3 awards in total.

Narayan Kumar is a 2nd year PhD student in the Civil and Environments Engineering department
of University of Delaware with Coastal Engineering program. Looking to investigate the impacts of extreme climate change which is causing coastal erosion, Kumar’s research area is focused on hydrodynamic numerical modelling and morphology simulation of sediment transport in nearshore region to gauge their effect on beach profile evolution. He validates numerical works by conducting actual experiment at sandy beach during swash event or in long wave flume. His Intended career goal is to get trained as top-level graduate student to be a future professor/mentor in coastal engineering and then mentoring new research fellow’s intellectual capacity and commitment to excel in research and learning.

Narayan Kumar capturing Wave Breaking: Sandy hills. PC: Narayan Kumar

My-Lan Le has worked as a technician and crew leader for several seasons in the western United States, and is now a graduate student at the University of Colorado Denver and the Denver Botanic Gardens. “Effective conservation requires baseline information about how species exist in their habitats, and that all field work research participants are equipped and prepared,” says Le. This summer she plan to work with other scientists to collect data and perform pollen supplementation experiments on the Avery Peak twinpod (Physaria alpina), a rare plant species that only lives in Colorado. Quantitative information about this species’ ecology is limited, and she will measure ecological variation and reproduction, which would help fill the knowledge gaps and better conserve this species in the future.

My-Lan Le preparing to conduct plant surveys. PC: My-Lan Le

Cheyenne Reuben-Thomas is a first-year PhD student in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Cornell University. As an Onʌyoteˀa•ká• (enrolled member of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, Turtle Clan) and Onöndowa:ga:’ (Tonawanda Seneca) researcher, Cheyenne centers Indigenous Knowledge and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in the fields of Ecology, Evolution, and Entomology. Broadly, she is interested in how different land management strategies impact insect biodiversity. Her doctoral research will investigate the potential benefit of Good Fire (traditional uses of prescribed burning) on overall biodiversity of ground-dwelling insects as well as species and genetic diversity of ants. Through her work, Cheyenne wishes to highlight our non-human relations and insect kin in biodiversity contexts and emphasize the need for Indigenous-led conservation.

Cheyenne Reuben-Thomas out backpacking. PC: Cheyenne Reuben-Thomas

“All three of our applicants are compelling, set the bar high, and fit the mission and goals of Field Inclusive perfectly,” says Lauren D. Pharr, co-founder and Field Inclusive CFO. “We are looking forward to highlighting more about their work, and offering these grants to more applicants in the near future.”

Field Inclusive plans to open the next call for applications in October of 2024.