FFRC Staff
Graduate Students
Jackie Dias - University of Massachusetts Amherst B.S. 2019
Jackie is a master's student in the Department of Environmental Conservation at UMass Amherst. Her work focuses on the economic and ecosystem contributions of privately owned land held within the Forest Legacy Program.
Jackie graduated from UMass Amherst in 2019 with a BS in Environmental Science. She has been with the Family Forest Research Center since interning as an undergraduate research assistant Summer 2017. In her spare time, Jackie enjoys writing, reading, rock climbing, and hiking.
Olivia Lukacic - University of Vermont B.S. 2016
Olivia is a native of Massachusetts and excited to continue her work and studies back in the Commonwealth after several years in other New England States. She is working with Paul Catanzaro and his extension work in promoting land conservation through understanding land owner decision making and peer networks. Her work will aim at understanding those networks of female landowners.
Olivia loves exploring whatever neighborhood and protected land that she can call home through running, hiking, biking, paddling and swimming. When not outside she enjoys cooking, painting, and spending time with friends. Before returning back to Massachusetts, Olivia received a dual B.S. from the University of Vermont in Environmental Science and Forestry in 2016. She then moved to Maine to work for an educational non-profit in mid-coast Maine.
Meg Harrington - St. Lawrence University B.S 2014
Meg is a master’s student in the Department of Environmental Conservation at UMass Amherst.
As part of the Family Forest Research Center, her studies focus on the relationship between landowners and wildlife. Through personal interviews, a mail survey, and fieldwork in Vermont, her thesis aims to understand the efficacy of technical assistance programs for family forest owners and wildlife conservation.
Meg received her BS in Conservation Biology from St. Lawrence University in 2014. Before joining the Family Forest Research Center, she spent four years as a field biologist in New Hampshire and California.
