Ana Carolina Esteves Dias

I am originally from Brazil, where I graduated from the State University of Campinas in 2012 with a four years degree in Biology. I also hold a degree in Biology Education and a MSc in Ecology from the same University. Since 2016, I am a PhD candidate at the University of Waterloo. Through my years of studying, I became fascinated by the research field in Applied Ecology and interdisciplinary research concerning social and environmental issues. My primary research interest lies in human and environmental interactions, especially regarding environmental governance towards social and ecological sustainability. I understand that human well-being depends on nature, and nature is affected by human actions. Therefore, humans and nature may be considered as two subsystems of the same social-ecological system. My motivation in this field is to identify which elements combine to generate a balance between nature conservation and human well-being and how these could be applied to environmental governance. I am also engaged with outreach activities at the coastal zone in order to foster environmental stewardship and local development.