Join us for an Alumni Panel Discussion and Networking Event!
The Environmental Sciences & Policy Graduate Student Organization (ESPGSO) is hosting an Alumni Panel Discussion and Networking Event from 3-4 p.m. Monday, Nov. 1, in room 106 of the Science Annex building.
NAU undergraduate students, graduate students, alumni, faculty and the Flagstaff community are invited to attend. This event is free and is supported by ESPGSO, LEAP and Campus Events Support and Operations.
Audrey Kruse is the Community Engagement Director for the Grand Canyon Trust, where she manages the Volunteer Program and the Rising Leaders Program. Prior to joining the Trust in 2019, Kruse worked throughout the Rocky Mountains and across the Colorado Plateau teaching high school science, leading wilderness expeditions and managing citizen science programs. Much of her work has centered on people’s connections to the Colorado River and Rio Grande watersheds. She has an undergraduate degree in anthropology from The George Washington University and a graduate degree in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Northern Arizona University.
Sasha Stortz joined the National Forest Foundation in 2020 as theArizona Program Manager. She has over 15 years of experience working in collaborative natural resource management with land managers, researchers, Tribes and other stakeholders. Prior to joining the National Forest Foundation, Stortz led a collaborative planning program at Northern Arizona University, where she facilitated multi-stakeholder groups developing strategies around issues such as climate adaptation, forest restoration, post-fire restoration, conservation prioritization, water resources and Tribal co-management. Sasha received her MS in Environmental Sciences and Policy from Northern Arizona University and her BA in Biology at Lewis & Clark College. When she’s not at work, she enjoys mountain biking and hiking with her family in her Arizona backyard and fishing in her home-state of Alaska.
Mariah Giardina received her Bachelor’s degree from NAU in Political Science with a minor in Environmental Studies. She went on to pursue a Master’s of Science in Environmental Science and Policy. After receiving an internship with Arizona Hydrological Society, she began working for USGS Grand Canyon Monitoring and Research Center (GCMRC) as a contracted fisheries technician. In addition, Giardina also pursued a career as a boatman for Hatch River Expeditions and has served on the board of Grand Canyon River Guides. The combination of education, boating and experience on fisheries research projects has culminated in her current position leading both the Juvenile Humpback Chub Monitoring project and the Trout Recruitment and Growth Dynamics project as a fish biologist for GCMRC. She has also worked with Grand Canyon Trust, Grand Canyon Youth, National Park Service and has done outreach in various classrooms in Flagstaff.