National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Jacob Nesslage, Environmental Engineering Undergraduate Student
Hometown: My hometown is Denair, a town about five miles from Turlock.
What does it mean to you to receive a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship?
Receiving the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP) is an incredible achievement for me — the culminating experience of my undergraduate career. The NSF-GRFP provides a life-changing opportunity to pursue graduate research with a certain amount of financial freedom. In addition to providing financial support, this award is a stepping stone to future success, as evidenced by the previous NSF Fellows who have continued to make lasting contributions to scientific research. I am grateful to join the ranks of NSF Fellows past and present.
Tell me a little about your current research. Who is your advisor?
My research interest is in using remote sensing technologies (satellites, aircraft and drones) to study the biodiversity of ecosystems and underlying ecosystem services and biogeochemistry associated with these systems. My current research includes the development of a model to predict plant species richness in the Merced Vernal Pools and Grassland Reserve, research into imaging and sensor fusion in support of the NSF Engineering Research Center for the Internet of Things for Precision Agriculture (IoT4Ag) and studies on riparian ecosystem restoration in the Consumnes River Preserve. My faculty advisor, Professor Erin Hestir, has guided my development as an undergraduate researcher and has been pivotal to my successes, culminating with the award of the NSF-GRFP. I am excited to continue to work with the Hestir lab this Fall as an incoming M.S. student in Environmental Systems.
What attracted you to pursue your graduate education at UC Merced?
The Environmental Systems Graduate Group at UC Merced focuses on understanding the Earth as an integrated system to address the environmental consequences and develop sustainable solutions to providing food, energy and other basic services to the Earth’s ever-growing population. Staying at UC Merced for my M.S. allows me to pursue research that spans interdisciplinary boundaries and gain greater knowledge of environmental topics outside the typical environmental engineering curriculum. In addition, as a current undergraduate environmental engineering student, UC Merced and the faculty of the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department have given me countless opportunities to grow as an engineer and researcher. I feel that I have so much more to learn at UC Merced and I feel a vested interest in contributing to the UC system’s newest university located in the Central Valley, my home.
What is your career plan after graduating with your M.S.?
I plan to pursue a Ph.D. in Ecology or a closely related field after I complete my M.S. in Environmental Systems at UC Merced, so I can continue to study the biodiversity of ecosystems and underlying ecosystem services and biogeochemistry associated with these systems. After my graduate studies, my intention is to continue to conduct research and apply solutions to problems in restoration ecology and agroecology through whatever means this is possible, whether a federal or state agency, a private company or a post-doc appointment. I also have a vested interest in pedagogy, so I could also see myself teaching as a professor at a university or community college. The NSF-GRFP opens many doors and my journey as a graduate student will undoubtedly lead me to an exciting career as a researcher.
