Dillon Hanson-Ahumada is a recent graduate from UNL who is currently a RAY Marine Conservation Diversity Fellow at a conservation nonprofit in San Francisco.
He shared, "I work in the Oceans/Nature department of the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Some issues that I work on include: protecting marine mammals, combating illegal fishing, conserving sharks, helping to advance strategies to fight ocean plastic pollution, and serving as a liaison to community and grassroots groups fighting offshore oil and gas production."
Then he went on to discuss what he liked about the ENVR program and how it has impacted him, "What I enjoyed most about the UNL ENVR program would be the opportunities that we had to learn outside of the traditional classroom. Whether it was through field trips, lab instruction, or research projects, we always had great opportunities thanks to the ENVR program and staff/faculty. I believe that the UNL ENVR program impacting me by showing me the possibilities I had to make an impact in conservation. There are tons of avenues and paths you can take to conserve our environment, and the UNL ENVR program did a great job of showing me those possibilities and preparing me to go after them."
Dillon went on to share positive experiences he's had since leaving UNL, "I received the opportunity to become a fellow with NRDC and join an awesome team of scientists, lawyers, and policy experts working to solve a diverse array of conservation issues... plus it's in San Francisco which is pretty sweet!"
