2024 Cohort 

Cam, a 13th-generation New Mexican with roots in Santa Rosa, was raised in Albuquerque and is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at UNM. They study the science of landscapes, telling their stories through tectonic geomorphology to understand what rivers record about the histories of the Colorado Plateau using tools like landscape modeling, geochronology, and geodetic methods. They also study geoscience education aiming to synthesize place, identity, and other ways of knowing in geosciences within the Southwest. 

Hannah Taylor uses red thread to sew, draw, collect, and repair within the intersections of endurance and playfulness in surrounding ecosystems. Her work ranges from temporary outdoor installations to embroidered relief prints. She is currently pursuing an MFA at the University of New Mexico.

Jack Ivey is a master's student in environmental engineering, hoping to help humanity coexist with itself and the environment. Specifically, he is currently trying to improve wastewater treatment in cold climates and underserved and rural communities. His interests range from music and art to science and technology.  

Jess is an artist and designer pursuing her MFA at UNM. She grew up outside Las Vegas, New Mexico, and has spent the last year and a half focusing her work on the Hermit’s Peak / Calf Canyon wildfire. Jess is interested in using data sets and anecdotal stories to visually communicate complex stories.

Lea Anderson, an installation and mixed media artist, an art educator, and curator, has lived and worked in New Mexico for two decades and has discovered much during her adventures in the dramatic, colorful, and wild desert environment. She received her MFA in Painting and Drawing from UNM and is currently a Full-Time Art Studio Faculty at Central New Mexico Community College (CNM). She also teaches a variety of inspiring mixed-media art workshops. She has exhibited throughout New Mexico and the USA, as well as internationally in Bangkok, Thailand.  She is currently collaborating on projects with Meow Wolf and Electric Playhouse in New Mexico. 

Lizbeth (Liz) is a first-generation Chicana at the UNM College of Population Health and a McNair senior research fellow. Her research uses community-based health promotion strategies to improve digital health literacy within rural New Mexican communities. As a rural student herself, Liz seeks to highlight the social determinants of health disparities in rural communities. 

Paige is a graduate student in the Civil, Construction & Environmental Engineering department at the University of New Mexico. Her work involves understanding the impacts of wildfire disturbances on river water quality and how we can better protect the health of communities downstream. She is passionate about science communication and is excited for the opportunity to learn from her community.

Rachel Bordeleau is a transdisciplinary artist and educator whose work centers on plant-human relationships and place-based entanglements. She works with invasive plants, archival materials, and found objects to create stories of place that disrupt our perception of the environments we inhabit. Her current practice is rooted in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she is completing an MFA in Art & Ecology at the University of New Mexico. 

Rachel Popowcer is a Mixed Media Oil Painter and Photographer who received her BFA from Carnegie-Mellon University and her MFA from The University of New Mexico. Much of her inspiration comes from the colors and forms in nature, as well as visual narratives around the complexity and connection inherent in the human experience. Rachel currently teaches Art Studio classes at CNM, and other positions have included the UNM Art Department, UNM's Continuing Education Program, The New Mexico Cancer Center, and more. She currently shows at Lapis Room Gallery in Albuquerque and is busy in the studio creating new work.

Becca is a PhD student at Washington State University studying water resources engineering. She uses models and remote sensing to better understand the changing water cycle and its impacts on food and water security in headwater-dependent mountain systems. Her research centers on developing climate-adapted food and water systems.