The Urban Bird Project would like to introduce our new cohort of 2025 Student Scholars! Congratulations to each of you!
Anna Jaud
Hello! My name is Anna Jaud and I grew up in Houston, Texas! I received my bachelor’s degree from UT Austin in Human Ecology and am currently pursuing my master’s in Environmental Science at UTSA. I am passionate about environmental justice, avian ecology, and conservation. My favorite ways to connect with nature are by hiking, swimming, and bird watching!
Abril Garcia-Linn
Abril Garcia-Linn is a proud Chicana from San Antonio’s Westside. She is a nontraditional, first generation student pursuing her bachelor’s degree in Mexican-American studies at UTSA. She is currently conducting a research project documenting oral histories of members of the Chicano Arts Theater, a street theater group founded in the 1970’s in San Antonio’s Westside. She is a multi-talented artist, writer, performer, teacher and mother. Her poems are published in several anthologies. Her passion for the arts led her to serve as board president for San Anto Cultural Arts, and the Conjunto Heritage Taller. She is a founding member of The Write Spot Collective and co-hosts an open mic at The Lemon Girls every second Sunday. She works teaching ESL to adults for NISD Adult Education and Literacy.
Marcela Hernández
Marcela Hernández is a freshman at UTSA majoring in Mexican-American Studies. Being born and raised in San Anto, Marcela has always had an appreciation for the beautiful display of culture and community in this city. Identifying as a Chicane, Marcela advocates for social justice and makes an effort to elevate the voices of marginalized groups. Their research will focus on learning from elders about their connection to this land and how we can integrate that into the younger generations. Visibility is power and Marcela strives to ensure their history and community are never forgotten.
Rosemary Gonzales
My roots are deeply embedded into the soil of San Antonio. Having lived here my whole life I am proud to call it my home. I graduated from the University of Texas at San Antonio as an English major with a concentration in professional writing and am currently working on my MA in English. My plan is to deepen my research and understanding of food systems and how they intersect with different ecologies and I cannot imagine a better place to start than San Antonio which has been designated the City of Gastronomy by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. I have always felt a strong sense of duty to my community which is why I look forward to aligning my research with the advocacy for the humans and non-humans of San Antonio.
Monica Hernandez
Monica Hernandez (she/her/hers) is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Education Leadership and Policy Studies program at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Before joining UTSA, Monica received her Bachelor of Arts in English and Chicano Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a Master of Education in Higher Education from UTSA. Before pursuing her Ph.D., she spent a decade in the workforce in public, private, and nonprofit spaces. For her semester project, she will focus on traditional ecological knowledge and preserving her mother’s medicinal knowledge of plants.
Yane’e Hardeman
Hey, my name is Yane’e Hardeman (Yuh-nae). I am a Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Senior whose studies focus on a decolonial framework of knowledge and history. My research interests have been formed by my intersectionality of being black, Christian, and first-generation, so research has been a way to give back to the community I grew up in. I am excited to be working on the Urban Bird Project.
Grace Doss
Hello, my name is Grace Doss (she/her). I am currently working on a bachelor of arts in Environmental Studies at UTSA, which has fully cemented my enthusiasm for birds and plants. Growing up on the edge of San Antonio has given me a love for the beauty of nature along with this city. I am excited to learn more about both of them by working with the Urban Bird Project!
Madeline Hernandez
Hello! I am Madeline Hernandez, a first-generation graduate student at UTSA majoring in English. As a San Antonio native, I care deeply about the city’s culture and history. I am interested in indigenous histories of San Antonio and how to best preserve and share these stories. The Urban Bird Project allows me to explore this interest and helps me make meaningful connections to my own heritage. I am excited to continue to explore, create and learn with the Urban Bird Project team this semester.
Aamir Zulfiqar
I am Aamir, a first-generation PhD student in English at UTSA. My academic journey has been shaped by a deep interest in Environmental Rhetoric, Migration Studies, and Trauma Studies. My research focuses on climate-induced migration in South Asia and other regions, mapping the impact of natural disasters on local communities and examining the intersection of individual and collective trauma with post-disaster migration factors. I have actively participated in community-engaged work within the agro-ecological zones of Pakistan, addressing climate change, food security, destruction of local habitats and ecosystems, and climate-induced migration resulting from necropolitical practices. I am passionate about bringing environmental justice to both non-humans and marginalized communities.
Anisa Riccardelli
Hi! My name is Anisa Riccardelli, and I moved from Austin to San Antonio a couple years ago to attend UTSA. I am an undergraduate majoring in environmental science with a focus on conservation and restoration ecology. If I am not at home, you can probably find me birding. I love contributing to community science through wildlife photography, wildlife surveys, iNaturalist, and eBird. My passion for birds got me hooked on environmental science, wildlife conservation, and restoration ecology. I am excited to contribute to the Urban Bird Project, learn more about communities within San Antonio, and explore ways to utilize community science.