“The advisor-student dynamic is essential in creating a successful atmosphere for a graduate student,” says Lauren Porensky, a 2012 graduate from the Ecology Graduate Group. “I made an effort to choose the advisor who seemed like the best fit for me.”

Porensky studied under Professor Truman Young, researching the impacts of livestock management activities on ecology and conservation in central Kenya. Most of her dissertation work was done in Kenya, where she collaborated with the Mpala Research Centre, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Jessel Ranch to study ecological edge effects around abandoned cattle corrals.

While in Kenya, Porensky became involved in community outreach. She frequently shared her findings with local land managers. “I developed a pictorial plant guide and a rangeland monitoring guide for the land managers,” said Porensky. “I also presented my results at local ‘discovery days’ and published findings in local newsletters.”

Porensky attributes the success she experienced in her field of research to the solid foundation the Ecology graduate group develops in their students. This is achieved through formal training before students are released into the field. Porensky appreciated the collaborative and friendly atmosphere of the program, noting that the success in her research resulted, in part, from the open academic relationships encouraged in the program between faculty and their students, as well as between students and their peers.

Porensky garnered financial support for her research through various fellowships and grants, including the National Science Foundation’s Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant and their Graduate Research Fellowship, Travel Awards from Society for Conservation Biology, and many others. “My graduate school experience would have been much less rewarding without fellowships,” shared Porensky. “They paid my stipend and also gave me the research funding to conduct experiments in Kenya.”

For Porensky, the graduate education she received at UC Davis was invaluable. It has prepared her for a long and successful career in ecology by cultivating leadership qualities through her studies and work abroad.

Since completing her graduate degree at UC Davis… Porensky is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Nevada at Reno, focusing on applied restoration techniques for the Great Basin.

During her free time she is involved in various outdoor activities, including hiking, backpacking, rock climbing and backcountry skiing. She is also looking forward to volunteering at Reno’s Habitat for Humanity program.

Photo credit: Solveig Franziska Bucher.