Jen Skala

• Grand challenge: To stop the spread of invasive plant and invertebrate species and restore damaged habitat 

Jen was raised in California and developed a love of ecology through hiking and volunteering in the local parks district. She attended Ithaca College in Environmental Studies and fell in love with the Northeast and forestry. Jen has worked many jobs since graduation, from monitoring Hemlock Woolly Adelgid in New York's State Parks to trail crew to post office delivery, and can now be found between classes working in Cornell's research greenhouse facilities as a grower. Her plan for the future is to become a land manager with a speciality in restoring ecosystems that have been damaged by invasive plants, invertebrates, and disease.