Lovejoy-Carson Scholars

The Lovejoy Center sponsors graduate students in a year-long fellowship through the University of Arizona Carson Scholars Program. This competitive program trains scholars in the art of public communication. Scholarships support students whose research is related to the environment and/or its intersection with social justice and helps scholars explore their motivations and develop their stories for specialist and non-specialist audiences. The Lovejoy-Carson Scholar receives a $5,000 scholarship and joins a network of over 100 alumni.

Learn more about the Carson Scholars Program.

The Lovejoy-Carson Scholars

Woman stands in front of a snowy grand canyon — Maddie Wallace

Madeleine Wallace

2025-2026 Lovejoy-Carson Scholar

Maddie is a second-year PhD student in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment and a member of Dr. Rachel M. Mitchell's lab. Her research examines how climate change influences plant community resilience and ecosystem function in arid landscapes. She is especially interested in research that is co-created with community partners, grounded in equity, and designed to integrate diverse knowledge systems to advance solutions that are both impactful and locally relevant.

Maddie earned her BS in Environmental Science from the University of Portland and previously worked as a project manager for an ecological restoration company in the Pacific Northwest, where collaborating with local communities sparked her passion for science communication. Today, she strives to bridge ecological research and public engagement to support more inclusive and sustainable stewardship of natural resources. Outside of her research, Maddie enjoys sewing, reading speculative fiction, and spending time outdoors.

Raymond Owino

A man gives a presentation about giraffes. — Raymond giving a lightning talk at the Tumamoc Hill Boathouse, March 2025.

Phoebe Meixner

2024-2025 Lovejoy-Carson Scholar

Raymond is a PhD student in the School of Natural Resources and the Environment, pursuing Wildlife Conservation and Management and a part of Jesse Alston's lab. Raymond is broadly interested in studying population ecology, animal behavior, and conservation. Currently, he is working on training local communities in Kenya to monitor giraffes using GiraffeSpotter, which is an AI-powered platform used to identify giraffes based on their unique skin pattern. This will enable him to study errors that may occur during giraffe monitoring and develop a standardized giraffe monitoring protocol.

Raymond obtained his Bachelor of Science in Wildlife Management from Maasai Mara University and a Master of Science in Biology of Conservation from the University of Nairobi, both in Kenya. Over the years, Raymond has worked as a research and conservation manager at the Hirola Conservation Programme and Somali Giraffe Project. Recently, he served as a data and reporting manager at the Mara Elephant Project.