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Evelyn Valdez-Ward

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Evelyn Valdez-Ward is a scientist, science communicator, adjunct professor, and immigration activist living in the US. She is known for her activism related to DACA as a formerly undocumented scientist.[1][2][3] Valdez-Ward has published articles advocating for social justice and immigration rights in the sciences in journals including Science,[4] Scientific American,[5] and Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.[6]

Valdez-Ward speaking at the March for Science

Education

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Valdez-Ward is a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Metcalf Institute at the University of Rhode Island. She is currently developing a training curriculum and evaluation for faculty of color in science communication on Metcalf’s newest initiative, the SciComm Identities Project,[7] in collaboration with the Michigan State University Knight Center for Environmental Journalism.[8]

Valdez-Ward obtained an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at the University of California, Irvine, in 2022.[9][10] Her doctoral dissertation research focused on the impact of California's drought on interactions between plants and soil microbes, as well as on how to create inclusive communities in the field of science communication.[10][11] Her doctoral research was advised by Kathleen Treseder and Travis Huxman.

Scientific career

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Valdez-Ward is a co-founder and executive director of the Reclaiming STEM Institute, a science communication and science policy training workshop and lecture series founded in 2018.[12] The institute aims to build community, capacity, and power for and with scientists across diverse and historically marginalized communities.[12][13][14] The goal of the workshops is to help scientists learn to use STEM for social justice.[15][16] Reclaiming STEM has been partially funded by a grant from the American Geophysical Union.[13]

Evelyn Valdez-Ward has also worked as an adjunct professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, Santa Ana College, and Chapman University since 2019, after participating in the California Community College Internship Program. She teaches courses on topics including global climate change, plant biology, and introductory biology.[17]

Immigration Activism

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Valdez-Ward advocates for DACA and improved rights for undocumented people in the US, especially scientists.[2][5] She was a DACA recipient and was born in Mexico City.[1][18] She learned that she was undocumented while applying for college.[19][11] As a graduate student at the University of California, she was one of ten UC students and alumni who were featured in a documentary about being undocumented, which was part of a federal lawsuit to maintain DACA.[19] She argues that DACA and immigration are science issues.[1] In January 2020, Valdez-Ward became a legal permanent resident.[20]

Valdez-Ward was also a speaker at the 2018 March for Science in Washington, D.C. In 2018, she was named a Science Defender by the Union of Concerned Scientists because of her activism.[21]

Honors and awards

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "I'm an undocumented scientist fighting for my Dream". Science. 28 March 2021. doi:10.1126/science.caredit.aar4457.[non-primary source needed]
  2. ^ a b Woolston, Chris (January 2018). "US i mmigration fight heightens legal limbo for young 'Dreamer' scientists". Nature. 553 (7688): 258–259. Bibcode:2018Natur.553..258W. doi:10.1038/d41586-018-00489-5.
  3. ^ Valdez-Ward (She/Ella), Evelyn (11 February 2020). "As a new permanent resident, I will no longer be speaking about the undocu experience. It's not my space anymore. We all have to be aware of our privileges..." Twitter. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  4. ^ Valdez-Ward, Evelyn (10 November 2017). "Fighting for my Dream". Science. 358 (6364): 830. Bibcode:2017Sci...358..830V. doi:10.1126/science.358.6364.830. PMID 29123072.[non-primary source needed]
  5. ^ a b Valdez-Ward, Evelyn (12 December 2018). "The End of DACA Would Be a Blow to Science". Scientific American Blog Network.[non-primary source needed]
  6. ^ Gaieck, William; Lawrence, J.P.; Montchal, Maria; Pandori, William; Valdez-Ward, Evelyn (September 2020). "Science policy for scientists: A simple task for great effect". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 117 (35): 20977–20981. Bibcode:2020PNAS..11720977G. doi:10.1073/pnas.2012824117. PMC 7474605. PMID 32796107.[non-primary source needed]
  7. ^ "SciComm Identities Project". SciComm Identities Project. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  8. ^ "Evelyn Valdez-Ward". Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  9. ^ "People". faculty.sites.uci.edu. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  10. ^ a b Valdez-Ward, Evelyn (2022). Community Fosters Resiliency and Growth in Plants and Scientists (Thesis). ProQuest 2688640264.[non-primary source needed]
  11. ^ a b "Evelyn Valdez-Ward: An Undocumented Scientist", soundcloud, retrieved 8 November 2019
  12. ^ a b "Reclaiming STEM Institute". Reclaiming STEM Institute. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Celebrate 100 Grants Archives". AGU Centennial. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  14. ^ Reclaiming STEM Institute. "An organization building community, capacity, and power for and with scientists from across diverse and historically marginalized communities". Twitter. Retrieved 11 April 2023.
  15. ^ "ReclaimingSTEM (@Reclaiming_STEM)". twitter.com. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  16. ^ Danielle Hoefelle (24 October 2019). "Science Writers and Communicators of Canada – Reclaiming STEM: Minority scientists are doing a lot of work, and we are tired". sciencewriters.ca. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  17. ^ a b c d "CV". EVELYN VALDEZ-WARD. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  18. ^ "A Dreamer's Tale: Soil Microbes, Climate Change, and Being an Undocumented Scientist". Union of Concerned Scientists. 11 December 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  19. ^ a b McMillan, Carolyn (2 November 2017). "Aspirations on hold, UC students await court ruling on DACA". University of California. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  20. ^ Valdez-Ward (She/Ella), Evelyn (13 January 2020). "I'm a US Resident y'all! I just had my interview this morning & got approved!! My journey in STEM is about to change pic.twitter.com/RpPckSd5lD". @wardofplants. Retrieved 13 February 2020.
  21. ^ a b "Announcing the 2018 UCS Science Defenders". Union of Concerned Scientists. 6 December 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
  22. ^ "Evelyn Valdez-Ward". Robert & Patricia Switzer Foundation. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  23. ^ "Evelyn Valdez-Ward | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)". www.aaas.org. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  24. ^ "Grist Announces Annual List Of 50 Fixers". news.yahoo.com. 10 March 2020. Retrieved 21 March 2020.
  25. ^ "Evelyn and Linh Anh win the Best in Practice ESA Science Communications Award – Treseder Lab". Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  26. ^ "Evelyn wins UCI Latino Excellence and Achievement Award – Treseder Lab". Retrieved 18 April 2023.
  27. ^ "EVELYN VALDEZ-WARD". EVELYN VALDEZ-WARD. Retrieved 8 November 2019.
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