Steffanie Munguía

Steffanie Munguía has been volunteering with environmental organizations since she was 11 years old and began providing environmental education programs in her central Florida community. Steffanie is a proud BoriCubana (Puerto Rican and Cuban) who credits her passions for the environment and service to her early childhood experiences outdoors. In middle school, she began creating environmental programs to engage kids in her community in conservation, filling a critical gap in traditional science programs, and build a network of young conservation leaders. She took her work to her local and state-level Audubon affiliates, eventually coordinating a state-wide program for college students interested in careers in conservation. After focusing on avian ecology in undergrad, Steffanie became interested in the nexus of science and policy and pursued a master's degree in International Environmental Policy to learn how to leverage science to address society's most pressing issues, from climate change to environmental justice. She is now pursuing a doctoral degree at Florida International University in coastal wetland policy and management, focusing on the political, economic, and social factors driving decision-making in these critical natural carbon sinks. In addition to her dissertation research, Steffanie continues to contribute to conservation advocacy as a researcher and youngest member of the National Audubon Society Board, a member of the National Parks Conservation Association's Next Generation Advisory Council, and with Citizens' Climate Lobby. Much of her work in these organizations focuses on engaging youth and historically excluded groups in conservation.