Mary Cate Hyde

Fulbright/University of Kent Award

Mary Cate Hyde graduated cum laude with a BA in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University in 2023. She has conducted ecological field research across three continents, on projects ranging from monitoring a giant tortoise reintroduction to assessing the impacts of wildfire on large mammal habitat use. For the past year, she has worked at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington, D.C., where she has been involved in research using next-generation sequencing of ancient DNA to understand past population dynamics of wildlife in the face of disease and environmental change.

At the University of Kent, Mary Cate will be pursuing a Masters in Conservation Science and plans to study methods for tracking the wildlife trade, one of the most widespread threats to biodiversity. She looks forward to engaging with conservation practitioners from around the world and developing a better understanding of integrating the social and natural sciences for ethical and effective wildlife conservation.

In her free time, Mary Cate enjoys singing, hiking, cooking, and participating in science outreach, whether through volunteering at community events or writing articles for online publications. She looks forward to getting involved in local conservation organizations in Canterbury and exploring all the natural spaces the UK has to offer.