CNR students take top prizes in grad video contest

March 15, 2016

Two videos created by CNR graduate students were chosen as winners in the Berkeley Graduate Division's  2016 Distinguished Fellows Video Contest this week. 

First place was awarded to Rebecca Brunner, a 1st-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. As a tropical field ecologist with a background in conservation policy and education, Rebecca researches strategies that aim to benefit both biodiversity and the livelihoods of local people. Originally from a small cornfield town in Illinois, she has lived and worked in many jungles around the world, including Peru, the Philippines, and Madagascar. She currently researches the nexus of ecosystem services and conservation, as well as synergies between biodiversity and human health.  She is the recipient of the Hellman Graduate Award.

Benjamin Krause, 2nd-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, took third place. Ben is committed to investigating and promoting community-based development and sustainable solutions to poverty. Originally from Nebraska, he has worked in disaster relief and community engagement throughout the U.S. and in dozens of other countries. He plans to leverage his experience working in international development and humanitarian relief in East Africa, Latin America, and the Caribbean to examine how government officials in poor countries make incremental improvements in service delivery, accountability, and governance. He is the recipient of the Berkeley Fellowship.

Winners received research travel grants in the amounts of $1,500, $1,000, $750, and $500 respectively. 

Visit the Graduate Division website for more information on the contest and to view other contest submissions and winners.