Cronin awarded 2022 Smith Fellowship
Editor's note: this content originally appeared on the Society for Conservation Biology Blog.
The Smith Fellowship, a premier postdoctoral program in conservation science, seeks to find solutions to the most pressing conservation challenges. Each Fellow’s research is conducted in partnership with a major academic institution and an “on the ground” conservation organization to help bridge the gap between theory and application.
Emerging from an impressive pool of Ph.D. applicants from around the world who competed for the Fellowship are five outstanding scientists who will comprise the David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship class of 2022. Among them is Switzer Fellow Melissa Cronin.
Melissa will complete a project titled, “Conservation and Food Security Implications of Large- and Small-Scale Fisheries Interactions” under the academic mentorship of Dr. Xavier Basurto at Duke University and in partnership with Global Fishing Watch, Dr. Elena Finkbeiner at Conservation International, and Dr. Jordan Watson at NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service.
The Smith Fellowship seeks to identify and support early-career scientists who will shape the growth of applied conservation science. It’s also an opportunity for scientists to develop solutions to critical environmental challenges. While the Fellows' research projects focus on urgent conservation issues, they also learn firsthand the challenges and rewards of conservation applications. The program's focus is to enlarge their professional opportunities and ensure future success by helping them build relationships in the conservation and research communities and by providing opportunities for professional development through targeted workshops and training events.
