Ileana is a second-year Ph.D. student in the Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences Program within the Nye Quantitative Fisheries Ecology Lab. Ileana’s primary research focus is evaluating marine community responses to climate change and human impacts. Her work uses innovative quantitative approaches to improve our understanding of how marine species will respond to changing seas for better management outcomes.

In addition to her research, Ileana is also a fierce advocate for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HCBU) engagement and diversity in marine science at UNC and the broader scientific community through her consulting firm. Her current role is to increase HBCU participation in the Center for Sustainable Enterprise’s programs. Ileana also serves as the Graduate Student Representative on the university’s Sustainability Council and is a 2021 recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.