EPP Diversity Scholarship

2025: Jess Rojas

Jessica (Jess) Rojas was born in Salem, raised in Portland, and served 2 years in Salmon Corps/ Earth Conservation Corps. Jess graduated from the University of Oregon with a BS Environmental Studies, Ethnic Studies and studied Post-Bacc at PSU Indigenous Nations Studies, while interning with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, Community Watershed Stewardship Program. Jess works for Metro Parks and Nature as a part of the Community Education and Stewardship team, supporting community co-created restoration projects. Jess is excited to expand her restoration experience and knowledge. In her spare time Jess likes to go on adventures with her dog Ramone, hang out with friends or nerd out on plants.

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2023: Jeffrey Lee

Jeffrey Lee (he/him/his) is a life-long Portlander with a passion for ecological restoration and biological monitoring. He values the importance of disrupting systemic racism and elevating the voices of historically underserved communities in his work. Since earning his M.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA, Jeffrey has worked for some of the region's leading conservation organizations, including the City of Portland, Friends of Mt. Tabor Park, U.S. Forest Service, Columbia Land Trust, and Johnson Creek Watershed Council. He currently works for Metro's Parks and Nature Department as a Natural Resources Technician. Jeffrey lives in SE Portland with his wife Eugene and beagle-pit pup Nana, where they enjoy gardening, going on mini road trips, mushroom foraging, and crafting!

2022: Veronica Navarro

Veronica recently graduated from the University of California, Irvine, with a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Policy. She now works as a Natural Resource Specialist/RAY Conservation Fellow with NOAA Fisheries in the Protected Resources Division. She has a passion for conservation, data analysis, and science communication. At NOAA Fisheries she hopes to help facilitate the recovery of endangered species and learn more about natural resource management and ecological restoration. She is particularly interested in the relationship between rivers and forests.

2022: Jaq Kunz

Jaq Kunz grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area in an urbanized watershed. They moved to the Pacific Northwest to study Wildlife Ecology and Conservation Sciences at Washington State University. While at WSU, they minored in Comparative Ethnic Studies and joined Delta Alpha Pi, a national honors society for high-achieving disabled students. They have worked as a Forestry Technician, Biological Technician, and Riparian Restoration Intern. They are excited to expand their knowledge of aquatic restoration and river ecology. Jaq also enjoys spending their free time involved in community science, volunteering, and stewardship. 

2021: Sophie Brooks

Sophie is an Environmental Aide for King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. She works in the Ecological Restoration and Engineering Services (ERES) Unit, where she hopes to solidify her career in river restoration and salmon recovery in Washington State. She has an educational background in environmental policy and GIS, and was first introduced to the restoration world through trail maintenance and habitat enhancement projects. 

2021: Monica Keim

Monica is currently an undergraduate at Alaska Pacific University in Anchorage, AK with studies focused in Fisheries Ecology, Environmental Policy, and Water Resource Management. Her expected graduation date is June ’22. She will be an intern with NOAA Fisheries in Boise, ID for the 2021 summer season, as a Class of ’20-’22 Scholar in the NOAA EPP/MSI Program. Her project involves water resource reallocation, species reintroduction, and dam repair studies in the Wallowa River Basin, Oregon.

2020: Andrea Wagner

For over a decade Andrea has worked in natural resource management, focusing on aquatic ecosystems.  From studying diversity in agricultural ditches in Nebraska to working as a park ranger in Georgia she eventually made her way to Oregon.  Currently, Andrea works as an environmental regulator for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and remains engaged with on-going science and policy initiatives.  Additionally, she participates on Oregon’s Stream Function Assessment Methodology development team.  Her experience working over a large geographic range has familiarized her with the array of complexities regions, and individuals within those, face.  Her personal desire to thoroughly grasp the diversity and dynamics of Oregon stream systems has led her to the continued education offered by Portland State University. 

2019: Jean-Paul Zagarola

As project manager for Bonneville Environmental Foundation since 2015, Jean-Paul develops and implements innovative and large-scale ecological restoration projects for small local non-profits. Jean-Paul takes pride in supporting community-based organizations carry out their conservation work. He brings technical expertise, on-the-ground experience, and a socio-ecological lens to environmental problems. In 2020 he helped form the Mid-Willamette Beaver Partnership, an effort to promote coexistence with beavers in the state and take advantage of beavers' dam building ways to improve conditions for fish, wildlife and water resources. He is now leading that effort.

2018: Sebastian Ford

Scientific Technician, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

2017: Amy Sumner

Project Coordinator, Juneau Watershed Partnership

2016: Steven Addison

Biological Technician, Northern California Resource Center

2015: Luis Yanez

Environmental Technician, City of Tacoma