Tatiana Iretskaia, PhD
Department of Community Sustainability
STPAM - Ecological Food and Farming
Hometown: Saint Petersburg, Russia
Advisor: Dan McCole
Tanya is a doctoral student in Sustainable Tourism and Protected Areas Management and a graduate assistant in the Department of Community Sustainability. She is a recipient of the the C.S. Mott Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award.
Tanya did her Undergraduate degrees in Russia and France, one in "International Management", one in "Applied Environmental Science". She comes to MSU after years of professional experience that literally took her around the world. Tanya had the chance to work as research assistant on field biology projects in Central and South America (Galapagos, Iguazu and Tortuguero national parks), Africa (Madagascar) and within the US (Arizona and Montana). She also spent several seasons leading tour groups throughout Russia, Mongolia and China. Lately she worked as land stewardship fellow at the Aldo Leopold Foundation in Wisconsin. Her combined multicultural and travel upbringing and experiences, apprehension for the natural environment and the concept of 'land ethics' plus the desire to give back to society have brought her back to academia and to the STPAM program within the CSUS. Here she hopes to develop her research skills and contribute to the missions of the department.