Aminata Fofana

Ami was born and raised in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn, New York. She studied theatre for seven years and went to the Professional Performing Arts High School in Midtown Manhattan before switching over to the environmental sciences when her family moved to Ohio. Since her drastic switch to natural science, Ami became a volunteer at the Irwin Prairie State Nature Preserve where she helps to control invasive species through several management practices. As a result of her research experience in the Blesh agroecology and soils lab through the Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program, Ami found an interest in soil ecology and conservation. Ami currently works in the  Ecosystems and Soil Ecology lab at her home institution where she conducts a variety or analyses on soil enzymatic activity of arctic tundra soil. She is also conducting her own thesis project that is focused on analyzing the effects of nutrient limitation on arctic tundra soil microbial activity. In addition to her interest in soil and ecological restoration, Ami has a new found interest in urban ecology and community engagement.