Jessica Shade

After completing her undergraduate studies at University of California Santa Cruz with a double major in Environmental Studies and Plant Sciences, Jessica worked as a field crew leader for restoration companies and the Bureau of Land Management. She then received her Ph.D. in Integrative Biology from UC Berkeley, focusing on the adaptive processes behind the evolution of self pollination. Her study species, the sky lupine (Lupinus nanus) and the miniature lupine (L. bicolor), are important plants in restoration. Her work increased understanding about the selection pressures acting on these species, which is critical for successful restoration. She is also dedicated to science communication, environmental education, and social equity and inclusion in the sciences. She works with several organizations, such as Building Diversity in Science; Puente; the Biology Scholars Program; and Strategies for Ecology Education, Diversity and Sustainability to mentor under-represented students in the sciences. She founded the Graduate Student Instructor Diversity Mentorship Program, which aims to instruct Graduate Students on inclusive teaching practices, and the Research Dissemination Collaborations, a graduate student group that uses art to communicate current scientific research to the public. She currently works for the Organic Center as their Director of Science Programs.