Alaina Bisson

B.S. Candidate, University of Connecticut

2019 Conference Travel Grant Type 1 (Society of Wetland Scientists)

“Attending this conference will contribute greatly towards my professional development as an environmental scientist in a variety of ways. This will be the first major wetland conference that I will have attended during my academic career and I am thrilled at the opportunity to be a part of a forum for collaboration on protecting wetlands around the world. I am excited for the opportunity to communicate the results of my research for the first time with fellow students, professional wetland scientists, policymakers, and practitioners. I will gain a considerable amount of experience networking with wetland professionals through discussions on the current threats to, and the future of, wetland ecosystems. Since I am in the process of applying to graduate programs, this will also be an excellent opportunity to network with different wetland lab groups and potential advisors. I am also curious to explore the wetlands of the Chesapeake Bay, which I have never visited but have read extensively about, and to learn about their biological communities, functions, and opportunities for research and conservation. Together, I believe that attending this conference will be transformative by allowing me to communicate my research findings to an international audience as well as expose me to the largest network of wetland scientists on the planet.”