Current PhD Students

Caleb Atsu Nyatuame is an aspiring researcher and educator pursuing a Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Ecology at the University of Florida. With an undergraduate degree in Economics Education and a Master’s in Sustainable Communities, his work focuses on environmental and place-based education. His previous research examines how teacher educators, especially in Ghana, incorporate environmental issues and place-based education into their teaching practices. Caleb’s current research centers on the use of AI and place-based paradigms for capacity building in environmental education. Caleb has presented at national conferences such as AERA and has held leadership roles in sustainability, including serving as a graduate representative on Northern Arizona University’s Green Fund Committee. He brings an interdisciplinary perspective to his teaching and research, combining qualitative and quantitative methods to support environmental education. Caleb is a 2025 NAAEE CEE-Change Fellow working on helping African environmental educators build capacity through a professional development workshop on AI and Place-Based Education. Through education, policy, and community collaboration, Caleb aims to promote just and sustainable futures.

Carolina Simon-Pardo is a PhD student in Interdisciplinary Ecology at the University of Florida. Her research examines how research–community collaboration and culturally grounded science education can be co-designed to serve Indigenous youth and contribute to biocultural conservation in the Colombian Amazon