EENR Alumni - Where Are They Now?
Kelly Faller: Lead Estuary Science Coordinator at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Name
Kelly Faller
What is your graduation year?
2021
What degrees did you compete? Please include if completed a second major, minor, or certificates!
EENR, minor in Marine Science
What is your current job title and organization?
Lead Estuary Science Coordinator at the Partnership for the Delaware Estuary
Briefly describe your primary responsibilities in this role.
Data collection, analysis, project management, grant writing, report generation, lots of field work in tidal wetlands and nearshore environments. I also chair and engage with a lot of workgroups. I do everything from measuring grass to presenting work at national conferences.
What skills or experiences from the EENR program have been most valuable in your career?
A great foundation of ecological principals that can be applied to any system. I think being nimble has helped me get involved in a lot of projects in a wide variety of habitats, all because I had a great foundation of ecological knowledge to be applied anywhere!
What is one memorable experience from your time in the EENR program?
The Wildlife Society student conclave in coastal Maine back in 2018! Such a fun time. I got to go with a bunch of my fellow EENR students - most of whom are still close friends to this day. Also going to Antarctica with the Schofield lab - technically through my Marine Science work but while I was an EENR major. That was a life highlight, to say the least. Two of my colleagues there became my best friends and were at my wedding - and they got married themselves this past April!
What advice do you have for EENR students as they prepare for their careers?
LEARN PROPER GRANT WRITING. Also, soft skills are way more important than you think they are. We all got in the field to be outdoors and hang out with animals rather than people, but personal relationships make or break your career.
Please provide a short description of the photos provided.
This is a collection of photos with their locations in the titles (previously prepared for a grant). Many were taken during my current role. There is a bonus photo of me in Antarctica.
All photos courtesy of Kelly Faller.