Meet the researcher (student)!

Hello!  My name is Kiara, and I’m a senior geography student.  For as long I can remember, I have been fascinated by wild animals and knew from a very young age that I wanted to help the environment as much as I could. 

Given all this, I am extremely grateful for the chance to study in Botswana this summer.  Being in a world that is at once so familiar environmentally and quite different culturally is an opportunity  that I know will help me become a better and more knowledgeable environmentalist, capable of helping to solve some of the greatest challenges of the 21^st century. 

I would like to thank Dr. Rapoport and Randy Diehl for representing and providing financial support through the Bernard and Audre Rapoport Foundation for Multidisciplinary Studies and the College of Liberal Arts Competitive Scholarship respectively.  More than anything, I would like to thank my parents for supporting me in everything I do and for fostering my love of the outdoors and wildlife.  All those hours spent at the zoo in Kansas, the bird watching, and the trips we took as a family to various national parks and the rainforest of Costa Rica.  I would also like to send all my love and gratitude to my sister Marley for being the best listener and friend.  I wish you all the best in your academic journey and your own adventures, Lovely!!!