Student Engagement Program 2026 Fellows Prepare for Summer Meeting

WAFWA prepares to welcome its third Student Engagement Program (SEP) Cohort at Summer Meeting during first week of June. We would like to congratulate and recognize our 2026 SEP Cohort!

• Nicole Bartholomew is a first-generation college student from Chattanooga, Oklahoma, studying Natural Resources Ecology and Management with a concentration in Fisheries and Aquatics at Oklahoma State University. She is interested in working with animals and getting more hands-on field experience. Her goal is to build a career in a field where she can work outdoors, continuing to gain experience, and make connections within the field while exploring different areas to find what fits best.
• Madison Casey is a second-year master’s student at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Her research seeks to improve the understanding of invasive bigheaded carp spawning phenology to better predict future invasions and inform the timing of removal efforts. Her interests center on the integration of fisheries research and management, as well as public outreach. She plans to pursue a career as a fisheries biologist with a state agency upon completion of her degree in spring 2027.
• Carina Frischauf, DVM, trained in Vienna, Austria, is currently in her second year of a PhD in the Department of Veterinary Sciences at the University of Wyoming. Her research focuses on host–pathogen interactions in amphibians, with particular emphasis on Ranavirus infections in larval stages. Through this work, she aims to deepen understanding of disease dynamics and underlying pathomechanisms while contributing to amphibian conservation efforts. Her research supports the protection of vulnerable populations facing increasing environmental and infectious disease pressures. Carina aspires to continue working in the field of amphibian conservation in her future career.
• Raequel Picard is an enrolled member of the Nez Perce Tribe from Lapwai, Idaho. She is a first-year master’s student at the University of Idaho in the College of Natural Resources and Society. Her academic and research interests focus on bison restoration and Traditional Ecological Knowledge.
  Raequel graduated from Haskell Indian Nations University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and an Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts. Alongside her graduate studies, she works with the Nez Perce Tribe Wildlife Division.
• Krista Romero-Cardenas, Krista is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Arizona, School of Natural Resources and the Environment. Her work focuses on the intersection of science, technology, and natural resources, grounded in the belief that effective governance and environmental stewardship are inseparable. With a background in emergency response, she has led projects across federal, state, Tribal, and nonprofit sectors, working across jurisdictions to address complex challenges. Her research analyzes how natural resource use, wildlife connectivity, and large-scale technology infrastructure development interact across the Colorado River Basin within complex governance systems. She believes we must be more strategic and collaborative than ever to ensure that “man and nature exist in productive harmony.” Krista’s professional goal is to advance into consulting or a leadership role within the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, strengthening systems-level policy and decision-making.
• Luisa Zamora Chavez is a master’s student at Arizona State University studying host-microbe interactions in wild rodents across montane ecosystems in southeastern Arizona. Her research integrates ecology, evolution, and field-based approaches to understand how environmental and biological factors shape wildlife communities. She will begin the Evolutionary Biology PhD program at ASU in Fall 2026. After graduate school, Luisa’s goal is to pursue a career in wildlife management, applying ecological research to conservation, disease dynamics, and the long-term stewardship of natural ecosystems.
• Felice Yarbough is a 3rd year Master’s student studying Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences in the Human Dimensions Lab at Oregon State University. She successfully defended her Thesis work in April 2026. Additionally, she serves as the Graduate Teaching Assistant/ Co-Advisor and enjoys providing mentorship  for two student clubs (MANRRS and SACNAS). She is drawn to career opportunities that blends social science research with real-world impact. Felice has 7 years and counting experience working with government organizations, non-profits, and universities. She hopes to take on professional roles that support communities, inform policy, and make institutions better places to work. 

These student fellows will spend Monday, June 1 in a professional development workshop. They will then participate in the WAFWA Summer Meeting to receive first-hand experience in committee and working group meetings where high priority fish and wildlife management topics are discussed. They will be interacting with Directors, Deputies, Chiefs of Wildlife, Chiefs of Fisheries, R3 Coordinators, Biologists from a variety of specialties, and other professionals from our 24 U.S. and Canadian member fish and wildlife agencies.

The WAFWA Access and Engagement Committee is excited to host these student fellows. This group will provide mentors to help the students prepare for and navigate the conference to ensure that they understand the ins and outs of conference participation and that they get the most out of this experience.

For more information about the program, visit WAFWA’s Student Engagement Program webpage.