Isabel Ramos

About Isabel

Isabel is currently a senior at Pomona College majoring in Biology with a focus in Ecology and Conservation. Her senior thesis investigates how molecular techniques can help identify food resources critical for endangered Hawaiian land snails. Before starting college, she took a gap year where she worked on a farm animal sanctuary in upstate New York and also volunteered on hurricane relief efforts in the Bahamas. These experiences solidified her interest in environmental justice and advocacy as well as in pursuing a career in conservation.

Throughout college she has been involved in multiple research projects, including a project aimed at investigating the effects climate change will have on pollinators at the University of Michigan and the impacts of environmental changes on the behavior of microscopic nematodes at New York University. Outside of the lab, Isabel has a strong passion for sustainable and urban agriculture and the intersection of sustainable food systems and conservation. She has worked on the Pomona College Organic Farm as a compost assistant all four years of college and serves as a student Farm leader, planning and organizing events to promote sustainable agriculture and environmentalism on campus. While studying abroad in Costa Rica, Isabel was also able to conduct agroecological research on rotational grazing and collaborated with the farm manager who has since continued to expand her regenerative farming practices.

In addition to research, Isabel hopes to increase climate science literacy, making scientific communication more accessible to a greater audience. She co-authored an op-ed in 2021 discussing recent flooding in Annapolis, Maryland, how it was connected to climate change, and possible mitigation strategies the city could implement. Additionally, through her current research project she has collaborated with teachers in Hawaii to help build a curriculum that highlights the importance of biodiversity, conservation, and Hawaiian land snails. In her free time, you can find her out on a hike, trying new vegan restaurants around Los Angeles, and drinking tea with her friends.