Ellie Harrigan (she/her) is a recent graduate of Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, where she earned her Master of Environmental Management. During her graduate studies, she completed a fellowship with the National Parks Conservation Association, where she supported freshwater conservation initiatives through spatial modeling and stakeholder engagement. Her master’s research focused on identifying conservation opportunities in Southern Appalachia by developing a species distribution model for the Eastern hellbender and applying suitability modeling and multi-criteria decision analysis to inform large landscape conservation planning. Ellie is passionate about applying GIS and data-driven approaches to conservation and restoration, with experience spanning from freshwater, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems.