Curriculum Vitae
Education
- Ph.D., Marine Biology (2023)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego - Doctoral Specialization in Interdisciplinary Environmental Research, policy focus (2023)
UC San Diego - M.S., Oceanography (2019)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego - B.S., Marine Biology with a minor in Chemistry (2017)
UC Santa Cruz
Fellowship Awards & Appointments
- Postdoctoral Scholar (2025–present)
National Center for Ecological Analysis & Synthesis (NCEAS) at UC Santa Barbara - UCSC Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow (2023–2025)
Kroeker Lab, UC Santa Cruz
Learn more about the Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, supported under the University of California’s Office of the President, here. - UC President’s Pre-Professoriate Fellow (2022–2023)
Aburto Lab, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego - NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2017–2022)
Aburto Lab, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego - San Diego Graduate Research Fellow (2017–2019)
Aburto Lab, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego
Additional Honors (selected)
- 2024 Group Inclusive Excellence Award, Scripps SCUBA DIVERsity Program, UCSD (2025)
- UNVEIL Fellow, Mentorship & Professional Development Program, UMass Amherst (2024)
- 2021 Group Inclusive Excellence Award, SIO Community Engagement Fellows, UCSD (2022)
- 2020 Group Inclusive Excellence Award, SIO Women and Minorities in Science, UCSD (2021)
- Outstanding Peer Mentor Award, Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego (2020)
Field Experience (selected)
- Research Cruise Participant, R/V Sally Ride (12 days; March, 2023)
SIO, UCSD – La Jolla, CA - Graduate Researcher Abroad (Summer, 2021)
Laboratorio de Biotecnología de Moluscos (4 months), UABC – Ensenada, Mexico - Field Research Assitant (Summer, 2017)
Stazione Zoologica di Napoli ‘A. Dohrn’ – Ischia, Italy - NSF REU Student, Koslow Lab (Summer, 2016)
SIO, UCSD – La Jolla, CA - ‘Kelp Forest Ecology’ Field School (Summer, 2015)
Hopkins Marine Station – Monterey, CA - Undergraduate Field Researcher (Fall, 2014)
Station de Recherche Océanographiques et sous-marines – Calvi, France
Teaching
Graduate instructor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego:
- Instructor of Record (Summer, 2023)
SIO 3: Life in the Oceans- 5-week summer course, 4 units; 11 students.
- Instructor of Record (Summer, 2022)
SIO 3: Life in the Oceans- 5-week summer course, 4 units; 19 students.
- Graduate Teaching Assistant (Spring, 2022)
SIOB 274: Natural History Below the Tides (SCUBA field course)- 10-week field course, 6 units; 10 students.
Undergraduate instructor at UC Santa Cruz, Physical and Biological Sciences Division, Academic Excellence Program (ACE):
- Learning Assistant / Session Co-Leader (Spring, 2017)
CHEM 1C: General Chemistry III - Learning Assistant / Session Co-Leader (Winter, 2017)
CHEM 1A: General Chemistry I - Learning Assistant / Session Co-Leader (Winter, 2016; Spring, 2016)
CHEM 1B: General Chemistry II - Learning Assistant / Session Co-Leader (Fall, 2015)
CHEM 108A: Organic Chemistry I- Sessions ran for 10-11 weeks in support of 4-unit classes; co-taught 2 formal learning sessions per week, 15–25 students per session; held 2-5 informal mentoring hours per week, 2-6 students per hour.
Professional Service & Outreach (selected)
- Co-Founder & Co-Lead, Scripps SCUBA DIVERsity Program (2017–present)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego - Member, UN Framework Convention on Climate Change RINGO Oceans Group (2023–present)
UNFCCC, Research and Independent Non-Governmental Organizations constituency (RINGO) - Co-Founder & Co-Lead, ACCESS Diving Program (2023–2024)
UC Santa Cruz - Member & Co-Organizer, Scripps’ Women and Minorities in Science group (WMIS) (2018–2022)
Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego - Co-Founder & Member, Climate Action and Policy Committee (CAP) (2019-2022)
Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSA), UC San Diego - Scripps Community Engagement Fellow (2020–2021)
(Formerly) Office for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC San Diego - Vice President of Campus Affairs (elected) (2018-2019)
Graduate and Professional Student Council (GPSA), UC San Diego
Newspaper Op-Eds:
- Cavan, E., Ferrer, E. M., and Sumaila, R. U. The ocean should be front and center at COP26. Euronews.
- Becker, M., Dohner, J., and Ferrer, E. M. Why ocean lovers should follow the global climate conference. San Diego Union Tribune.
- Costa, M. T., Ferrer, E. M., and Levin, L.A. De Anza Cove wetland restoration would help protect us against sea-level rise. San Diego Union Tribune.