Kristen Alexis Davis is an associate professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Department of Earth System Science at UCI. Her curiosity about environmental topics during high school and exposure to the ocean in Florida sparked her interest in science. She then found her passion in research when she had the opportunity to participate in field research and data analysis while helping out her friend at The University of Florida. Kristen’s research focuses particularly on oceanography and understanding the circulation in the coastal ocean and how it supports marine ecosystems. She currently has two areas of study: coral reefs and seaweed habitats like the kelp forest. She examines the reef ecology in response to the physics of the ocean that they are living in. Climate, density, and waves are all aspects her research observes. Her other research focuses on determining how to grow seaweed and use it as biofuel. She hopes her research will address the capabilities of our ecosystem in adapting to the new climate imposed on them. There will be a lot of biodiversity lost along the way but she hopes her research will find solutions that address this climate and environmental issue. Kristen believes that although scientists are discovering many new things about the world, there are still many things we do not know; thus, we desperately need more people in science to help us to learn about our environment. In order to discover new things, Kristen urges students to be persistent. She also believes that it is important to be skeptical of ideas being presented and in turn, make evidence-based conclusions. She admires PK-12 teacher’s for their dedication to their job of teaching and reminds PK-12 students to stay curious and know that they can make a difference. The world needs them in science, so if students have an interest, they shouldn’t don’t be afraid to pursue it.