Ava Hanson

My name is Ava Hanson and I was born and raised in Alexandria, Virginia, just outside of Washington, DC. I am a recent graduate (2022) of California State Polytechnic University Pomona with a BS in Plant Science and minors in Soil Science and Pest and Disease Management.

During my undergraduate degree I was able to utilize my strong foundation in agriculture by participating in various research projects for the Plant Science and Biological Science departments at Cal Poly Pomona. The projects I assisted with focused on quantifying soil quality in agriculturally based cover cropping systems and exploring direct and indirect impacts of agricultural insecticides on California bird fitness and reproductive success. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to intern at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency where I evaluated and validated environmental data submitted on herbicide drift incidents. My work focused on populating the Ecological Incident Data System which records pesticide related incidents involving humans, wildlife, and plants.

My desire to expand my knowledge and enthusiasm to solve environmental problems faced by society has motivated me to pursue a MS in Environmental Metrology and Policy at Georgetown University (class of 2024). I welcome you to reach out if you have any questions about the program and my experience. My email is anh89@georgetown.edu.