Biography
Dr. Angelica Zamora-Duran
AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow
Research, Innovation, Synergies and Education
Division Directorate for Geosciences
Class of 2024-2026
Dr. Angelica Zamora-Duran is a marine biologist passionate about furthering environmental and climate justice, especially in coastal communities. Throughout her education and work experience, she learned that conserving our ecosystems and sustaining society relies on the intersection of research, education and community engagement. After earning her undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Virginia, she earned her master's and doctoral degrees from the Florida Institute of Technology, where her research focused on combining paleoecological analyses with modern ecological data to assess how estuarine and coral reef ecosystems respond to past and ongoing climate change. Her previous work as an environmental consultant providing technical assistance to communities working to clean up historically polluted sites provided her with a first-hand account of environmental injustices. As a 2023-2024 American Association for the Advancement of Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the Department of Energy's Office of Policy, she worked across the department to support the transition to a clean energy economy by coordinating effective and inclusive workforce development activities, conducting research and analysis on energy employment and fostering robust labor and workforce stakeholder engagement.
Zamora-Duran understands that the future viability of Earth's ecosystems is inextricably tied to the direction of policy and believes that the best way to influence effective policy is through the clear and compelling communication of rigorous science. She is motivated by facilitating research that develops inclusive solutions to environmental issues that will allow coastal communities to thrive for years to come. Zamora-Duran is excited to work with the U.S. National Science Foundation Coastlines and People program, as it will allow her to better understand how the needs of underserved and underrepresented communities can be prioritized at the federal level and make sure that they are being included in discussions about climate hazards and resilience.