Melanie Medrano

Melanie Medrano earned her bachelor's degree in environmental science from George Mason University, with a concentration in ecological science and a minor in sustainability studies. During her undergraduate career, she was involved in various cultural and academic on-campus organizations while also serving as lead staff for environmental programs aimed at K-12 students, including the Meaningful Watershed Experience (MWEE), the VALHEN STEM Academy, and the Farm Field Trips at Arcadia Center for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.

Before joining Maryland Sea Grant, Medrano was a research fellow with the USGS National Climate Adaptation Science Center (NCASC), where she conducted research and developed case studies on real-world applications of the Resist-Accept-Direct (RAD) framework. She also interviewed natural resource managers and scientists about their progression in the climate adaptation space and their experiences adopting the RAD framework into their work, gaining invaluable insight on the complexities of management decision-making.