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Chandra Cragnotti, B.A. Interdisciplinary Science at The New School in New York, was in the 2023 cohort of the ��Ůֱ������'s Semester in Environmental Science undergraduate program.

Climate change, a global pandemic, and recent natural disasters have highlighted the need for researchers and scholars who can explore and explain the interconnectedness of science and society. Chanda Cragnotti, who is majoring in (IS) at , combines her interest in the natural sciences with communication skills to address environmental issues and advocate for change. She spent the fall semester participating in the Semester in Environmental Science, a program offered by the Marine Biological Laboratory (��Ůֱ������)... The program provides an intensive 15-week field and laboratory-based learning experience in ecosystem science and the biogeochemistry of coastal forests, freshwater ponds, and estuaries. 

Although Cragnotti intended to study environmental science at college, she knew she did not want to pursue a traditional science program. “That didn’t feel right to me, because I wanted to focus on science communication and climate communication,” says Cragnotti. “Growing up, I had a lot of climate anxiety, like most people around my age probably did. I always felt like it was something I wanted to learn about and be able to talk about. Because of the way science is often portrayed, I felt like I couldn’t understand it. When I got to The New School and started taking science classes, I realized I could understand it and other people could understand it, too, if it’s explained in a different way.”