Deirdre A. Conroy
Phone: +1 (703) 731-8173 ⠂Email: Dconroy1@vt.edu ⠂Jember, East Java, Indonesia
Education________________________________________________________________________
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA (May 2019)
Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Conservation, Minor: Literature & Language GPA: 3.9/4.0
Honors Scholar (Thesis-based diploma), Summa Cum Laude
Awards and Scholarships: Outstanding Senior and Commencement Speaker for the College of Natural Resources and Environment (2019); $7,000 Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Foundation 2018 Environment Scholarship; $1,000 Henry S. Mosby Scholarship for Academic Merit (2019); Phi Kappa Phi National Honor Society Life Member (2018); Gamma Sigma Delta National Honor Society Life Member (2018); $1,500 National Collegiate Honors Council GCS Scholarship (2018); $3,500 College of Natural Resources and Environment Honors Endowment Fund (2017); $1,964.07 Camp-Younts Foundation Scholarship for Academic Merit (2017)
Northern Arizona University | Fall 2018 Study-Away Semester
Grand Canyon Semester: Experiential-learning program. | GPA: 4.0/4.0
Focused on mapping solutions to environmental and indigenous issues of injustice of the Western United States.
Work Experience__________________________________________________________________
CHRM2 Fellow, Universitas Jember (September 2019-Present) | Jember, East Java, Indonesia
- Proofread and layout articles for publication in journals including the Journal of Southeast Asian Human Rights.
- Grant-write for CHRM2 projects; advise University students through applications to study/work abroad.
- Plan, emcee, and chair panel and plenary sessions for conferences including the 4th Annual International Conference for Human Rights in Southeast Asia (October 13-15th, 2019).
- Design and construct 2, 60-minute English-language lessons per week for University students and lecturers.
Community Outreach Program Assistant, Eagle Valley Land Trust (June-August 2019) | Edwards, CO
- Wrote three monthly articles for the local newspaper (Vail Daily) and social media posts (10/week) using HootSuite across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Wrote and designed webpages and fliers to engage with the community about cultural and environmental topics of concern using graphic design skills.
- Organized volunteers (11) for public outreach events (12; 2-4 hours long) throughout the Vail Valley.
- Designed and taught 60-minute environmental education lessons (2-6/week) to youth aged 4-18.
Conservation and Outreach Consultant, Virginia Tech (February-May 2019) | Craig, VA
- Managed an independent project in Appalachia to engage with the community about affordable conservation.
- Directed outreach campaign (fliers, email, conference calls, and direct site visits) to reach 15 rural landowners.
- Conducted site visits and fieldwork to collect quantitative and qualitative data; managed data in database.
- Generated formal written deliverables; presented results orally (60 mins) at public events (May 2019).
Undergraduate Teaching Assistant at Virginia Tech (January-March 2019) | Blacksburg, VA
Skills: Education and student engagement; organizing lecture materials; grading
- Taught lectures and hands-on lessons to over 50 students during a weekly four-hour senior-level course.
- Lectures ranged from 2-15 minutes long on ethical wildlife capture techniques, communicating with the public about wildlife research, and deploying field equipment. Hands-on lessons included knot-tying, maintaining and setting up capture equipment, and orienteering.
Grand Canyon Semester Research Fellow (August-December 2018)|Flagstaff, AZ
Skills: Project management; technical writing; organizing collaborators and experts; fieldwork; public speaking
- Collaborated with regional experts to conduct a project on bat ectoparasites in Grand Canyon using fieldwork, microscope identification, and composite imaging.
- Results revealed the presence of all ectoparasite morpho-groups throughout the Grand Canyon elevation gradient.
- Presented results orally at the Grand Canyon Semester Research Symposium at the Museum of Northern Arizona in December 2018; generated a formal report on the project.
Fralin Research Fellow, Virginia Tech (May-July 2018) | Belize, Central America
- Applied for and received a $4,000.00 grant to conduct socioenvironmental research on jaguars and logging.
- Collected data using camera traps in the tropical rainforest; conducted statistical data analysis in the lab.
- Presented results at the VT Summer Research Symposium (July 2018) and Wildlife State Conference (Feb 2019).
M-S Fellow, Conservation Management Institute (March 2017-August 2018) | Ellett, VA
- Worked closely with rural landowners to design and conduct two projects on biodiversity protections.
- Gave 2, 45-minute education talks to community groups about aquatic and terrestrial habitat conservation.
- Produced multiple deliverables including proposals, IACUC method explanations, and finalized reports.
Research Assistant, Conservation Management Institute (August 2016-March 2017) | Blacksburg, VA
Skills: Literature reviews; technical writing; data management & organization
- Spent 8-hours each week generating formal reports on research studies and management recommendations for bat and peregrine falcon populations on military forts in Virginia as well as in the rural New River watershed. Completed literature reviews and annotated bibliography construction.
Elwha River Restoration Intern at Olympic National Park (May-June 2015)| Port Angeles, WA
Skills: Restoration project design; volunteer management; fieldwork
- Worked with Elwha Restoration Crew of Olympic National Park on a controversial project focused on restoring the Elwha River watershed after the removal of two dams—a move requested by community groups and local Native American tribes for decades.
- Worked primarily in the Olympic Greenhouse transplanting native saplings to later be planted on the riverbank. Spent two 8-hour days worked with local community groups on deer capture and monitoring projects as well as with Native American tribes on salmon monitoring on the Elwha River delta.
Leadership Experience and Community Service___________________________________________
Student Mentor (May 2018-Present) | N.A.
- Mentor for 6+ undergraduate students through life and career obstacles after organic beginnings in friendship.
- Edit cover letters, resumes, and fellowship/scholarship application essays; and provide career advice.
Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad (March 2016-August 2018)| Southwest Virginia Region
- On-call for Vertical Rescue and Cave Rescue callouts.
- Training included education related to safe-caving practices and warning the public about the dangers of caving; rigging and knot-tying for rescue; and rescue operations and chain-of-command.
Professional Development Workshops and Certifications____________________________________
Legal Observer Training by the National Lawyers Guild |(February 18, 2019)
Wilderness First Aid by MEDIC SOLO Disaster & Wilderness Medical School| (February 9-10, 2019)
Designing Service Projects with Sharon Tewksbury-Bloom in Flagstaff, AZ |(Nov 4, 2018)
Designing Environmental Education Programs with Moran Henn in Flagstaff, AZ|(Nov 3, 2018)
Water Rights Policy Case Study at the Udall Foundation Orientation| (August 7-12, 2018)
Community-based Participatory Research Methods with Dr. Stephanie Rainie in Tucson, AZ (August 6, 2018)
Conflict Resolution and Mediation with Dr. Christian Matheis in Blacksburg, VA| (April 21-22, 2018)
Grassroots Organizing with Dr. Christian Matheis in Blacksburg, VA | (March 17-18, 2018)
Facilitating Intergroup Dialogue with Dr. Christian Matheis in Blacksburg, VA|(February 24-25, 2018)
Small-party Cave Rescue Technician with the National Cave Rescue Commission|(November 2017)
Technical Rope Rescue Certification with the Blacksburg Volunteer Rescue Squad | (March 2016)
Selected Speaking & Engagement Experience
Invited Speaker: Virginia Tech College of Natural Resources and Environment Commencement, Blacksburg, VA, May 16, 2019: Presented a 10-minute speech to a 2,500-member audience including students, faculty, and family about how to take our education into the real world.
Invited Speaker: Virginia Tech Honors College Spring Convocation, Blacksburg, VA, February 11, 2019: Presented a 10-minute speech to a 40-member audience about constructing the college experience.
Invited Instructor: Science Saturdays at Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, Flagstaff, AZ, November 3, 2018: Spoke with community members of Flagstaff and students aged 4-16 about bat conservation and research using hands-on activities and equipment.
Guest Instructor: Mt. Elden Middle School, Flagstaff, AZ, November 6, 2018: Presented 6, 30-minute hands-on educational lessons to 6th-8th graders about bat ecology, conservation, and research methods in the Southwest.
Invited Speaker: Tennessee-Alabama-Georgia (TAG) Caving Region Expeditions, Virginia Tech Campus, Blacksburg, VA, September 2016: I presented with a partner for 20 minutes, to a group of 30-plus individuals, on expeditions to the Southeastern karst regions of the United States to map and photograph caves for landowner and USGS Cave Survey census use.
Language Abilities_________________________________________________________________
English (fluent), Indonesian (novice conversational), Spanish (intermediate)
Extracurricular Activities_____________________________________________________
Book Club (December 2015-present): Met for 3 hours per week with Virginia Tech Professor Emeritus Dr. Robert Siegle and MFA Creative Writing Student Beejay Silcox to talk about literature and film from by feminist, 21st century artists and theorists.
Officer / Trip Leader of the VPI Cave Club of the National Speleological Society (September 2015-February 2018): Led 3-12 hour trips for beginner-advanced cavers into wild cave systems requiring technical ropework. Instructed students aged 16-25 about vertical caving (ropework and mechanical equipment) both in caves and on technical ropes courses. Proficient with outdoor leadership and expedition safety. Helped to organize annual and bi-annual events for the Club and allocated funding for event-planning.
International Travel & Cultural Exchange_______________________________________________
Indonesia (9/28/2019-Present); Southeast Asian Travel (9/4-28/2019): Singapore, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam; Costa Rica (6 weeks total); Belize (5/16-6/28/2018); European Travel (12/19/2013-1/2/2014): United Kingdom, France, Monaco, Italy, Switzerland