Josie Renner is a third-year student in the University of Georgia’s School of Public and International Affairs. She is currently pursuing an International Affairs major as well as two minors: one in Women’s Studies and another in International Human Rights and Security.

Josie, a recipient of the University of Georgia Presidential Scholar Award, is primarily interested in policy-work related to environmental sustainability and human rights. She is also interested in, one day, pursuing these passions via a career at a non-governmental organization.

In the spring and summer semesters of 2023, Josie had the opportunity to begin to explore some of these interests as they pertained to her CURO Undergraduate Research. With the support of the University of Georgia, and by receiving the CURO Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship, Josie spent January of 2023 through October of 2023 in Ketchikan, Alaska.

While in Ketchikan, Josie worked as a zip-line guide and photographer, while simultaneously collecting data for her research, which examines the effects of tourism on wildlife and indigenous populations within the region. She remarked that the experience opened her eyes to a lot of different things and that she really enjoyed getting to see the world through a different perspective.

Josie expresses her gratitude to the university by saying, “UGA really gave me the resources I needed to be able to have this opportunity and this experience. And it’s definitely helped me grow tremendously as a person. And, when I go back to being a full time student, I’m bringing back so many more things that I didn’t have when I left.”