Meet Our Scholars

Gaia Rueda Moreno was born in Valencia, Venezuela, although she has lived the latter half of her childhood in Katy, Texas. She is an undergraduate student at NYU (Class of 2024), double majoring in Biology and Environmental studies. Recently, they joined Dr. Kristin Winchell's lab at NYU, and are currently engaged in a research project on Spotted Lanternflies, a recently introduced invasive pest insect making its way through the Northeastern United States. Gaia is also a passionate birder, with a bird photography account on Instagram (@cityfeather). She hopes that her career in science will open up the academic world to honest discussions about how race, gender, sexuality, and various other identities shape who gets to participate in the scientific method. They want to focus their study on how urban environments differ in terms of population dynamics from more traditional ecosystems, such as undisturbed and rural areas. Gaia hopes to engage local communities in her data collection process, to help people understand why her work is important and instill a passion for science and nature in the next generation.