Ilana is an interdisciplinary ecologist dedicated to developing innovative climate solutions for biodiverse ecosystems and the communities that depend on them. Growing up in both the U.S. and Mexico, she spent part of each year exploring the Mesoamerican Reef off the Yucatan Peninsula, just north of EcoFS course location. With a deep connection to the region’s corals, mangroves, and cenotes, she is excited to share her favorite ecosystems as a teaching ground for the next generation of ecologists.

Ilana is passionate about bridging the gap between research and actionable conservation, striving for a sustainable future for both people and nature. She holds a B.S. in Ecosystem Science and Sustainability from Colorado State University and is a certified scuba diver. She began her career working with international NGOs on large-scale deforestation prevention in South America, later expanding her focus to federal and international policy and environmental justice. Ilana has furthered her expertise by examining the impacts of tourism on coastal communities and ecosystems in Mexico and Panama, as well as studying forest cover changes and elephant migration patterns in Kenya. This past year, Ilana joined the Global Sustainability Scholars Program as a RaMP-Up Fellow at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama. There she studied marine ecosystem resilience by quantifying and visualizing coral bleaching across the Eastern Tropical Pacific.