Dani Montocchio

Why I'm running for the IAGLR Board of Directors

I am interested in being a part of the IAGLR Board of Directors as a student member for several reasons. Professionally, I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to collaborate with the other members of the board and IAGLR members in general, allowing me to grow as a researcher from their experiences and expertise, as well as positively contributing to the advancement of great lakes ecosystems knowledge and conservation. Personally, I am truly passionate about the environment and its sustainable stewardship through the sharing of all types of knowledge from people of diverse backgrounds, both from traditional and western science. The interdisciplinary approach of IAGLR therefore aligns well with my values, and I would love to contribute to IAGLR’s efforts and mission in conserving our lake ecosystems for future generations in any way I can.

Previous Board Experience
As a student, I have yet to have the opportunity to serve on a board of directors, but have and currently am a part of various committees, clubs, and societies. Currently, I am the communications coordinator for McMaster University’s Department of Biology’s Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Indigenization Committee. This role entails me handling internal and external communications for the committee, as well as the creation and planning of various EDII events for the department. In addition to this role, I am also the co-VP of events for the Biology Graduate Student Society, where I am responsible for the planning, budgeting, organizing, and running of various events held throughout the year for the department and its staff and students.

Bio

Dani Montocchio is a graduate student at McMaster University pursuing her PhD in Wetland Community Ecology. She completed her Bachelor’s Science in Environmental Science majoring in Ecology at the University of Guelph. Transferring from a Master’s to a PhD, her research focuses on the effects of changing water levels, largely attributed to climate change, on the coastal wetlands in Georgian Bay, Lake Huron. Using wetland health indicators, as well as macrophyte and fish communities, she is assessing how changes in the hydrology of these relatively low disturbance wetlands impacts the diverse species that depend on them, to predict future changes resulting from extreme fluctuations in water levels. In addition to her research and thesis writing, Dani finds teaching and mentoring younger students extremely rewarding.