Emily is a sixth-year marine biology Ph.D. student in the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation and is interested in marine community ecology and the impact of global change on ecosystem and community structure. Her research delves into the mechanisms by which herbivorous fish and urchins promote healthy coral reef ecosystems in the face of growing stressors including overexploitation of fish and land runoff onto reefs. Emily primarily conducts her research on the islands of Maui and Hawaii where she works directly with state managers in providing data that can contribute to the world’s first herbivore protected area. In addition to her dissertation research, Emily also coauthored a summary report that outlines the impacts of climate change on U.S. national security, the actions the U.S. Armed Forces are currently taking in preparation for these impacts, and recommendations for future government policy as identified by experts through symposia and hearings on the topic. Emily has been funded through the NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship (IGERT), the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative, the Edna Bailey Sussman Foundation, the Mia Tegner Memorial Fund, the Explorers Club, and the Women Divers Hall of Fame. Originally from the D.C. metro area, Emily completed a B.S. in biology and environmental science at Duke University and an M.S. in resource ecology and management at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Prior to arriving at Scripps in 2008, Emily was a Knauss Sea Grant Fellow in Washington, D.C. where she worked in Antarctic environmental policy in the Office of Polar Programs at the National Science Foundation.