Evelyn TeKrony is completing dual bachelor's degrees in Environmental Science and Data Analytics while expanding her education through applied programs at Prince William Sound College in Valdez, Alaska. After completing PWSC's Marine Natural Resources Technician program, she is now studying Marine Service Technology. She has intentionally pursued education and research across different disciplines to gain hands-on, real-world experience and broaden her perspective before deciding where to pursue graduate studies.
Her current natural sciences experiences include marine microbiome research, bioinformatics, and invasive species monitoring in Prince William Sound. As an Alaska Space Grant Research Apprentice, Evelyn is studying microbial communities associated with sugar kelp using DNA sequencing and bioinformatic analyses. She is particularly interested in interdisciplinary science and in understanding how biology, data science, technology, and human systems can work together to address complex environmental challenges. Through the NNA Research Experience, she hopes to strengthen her scientific communication skills and better understand how researchers and communities can work together to ensure research is relevant and useful to the people it affects.
Her long-term goal is to explore interdisciplinary approaches to developing more sustainable solutions for plastic waste and other environmental challenges. Ultimately, she hopes to help translate scientific discoveries into practical technologies that protect environmental and human health.