Kenna Dinsdale

northern arizona university - school of earth and sustainability

Kenna Dinsdale has understood the importance of conservation for as long as she can remember. Nestled in California’s central valley, with artificially green golf courses next to dry, rolling hills littered with oil rigs, there were virtually no natural spaces to explore. Without this vital connection to the landscape, her childhood felt bleakly apocalyptic. As a first-generation student, attending the University of Oregon was transformative. Living in a colorfully diverse ecosystem among so many unique species profoundly impacted her worldview. This experience inspired Kenna to pursue a degree in environmental studies, dedicating her education to learning about creating and maintaining healthy landscapes. Kenna also found a passion for research after working in Dr. Fitter’s SHARE lab at the Oregon State University Collaborative Robotics and Intelligent Systems Institute. With an emphasis on improving accessibility to outdoor recreation, this program enabled Kenna to collaborate with a team to develop an auditing system for hiking trails. Empowered by the real-world applications of collaborative research, these experiences motivated Kenna to continue her exploration of interdisciplinary solutions to environmental challenges and conservation. Embarking on the journey of post-secondary education through Northern Arizona University’s Environmental Science and Policy master’s program, Kenna is researching remote sensing applications for monitoring large-scale restoration projects. Kenna is committed to contributing to the future of conservation by learning about science-policy communication and improving her understanding of the connection between nature and technology.