Despite growing up in Hingham, Massachusetts, Jake’s best childhood memories come from frequent trips to the Mad River Valley in Vermont. He is a recent graduate of the University of Montana with a B.S. in Microbiology. Before college, Jake spent six years as an educator and aquarist at the New England Aquarium. At the University of Montana, he spent three years conducting undergraduate research in the fields of biomedical microbiology, behavioral ecology, and watershed hydrology. He also served as a student senator and as president of the Chinese club. Jake hopes to obtain a Ph.D. in ecology and work on ecosystem conservation, environmental restoration, and policy. In his free time, Jake loves backpacking, running, skiing and travel.