Autumn McGowan is a Conservation Fellow with The Nature Conservancy working on science and conservation projects in the Midwest and Great Lakes.

Autumn is an EHS alum who went on to attend the University of Illinois at Chicago and earned a Bachelor's in Public Policy with concentrations in environmental policy and social policy, and minors in Sociology and Civic Analytics. She has always been passionate about the environment and spent her time in school focusing on the interactions between communities and the environment, particularly access to resources and nature. Her internship during school was spent working with nonprofits on the Water-for-All Campaign in Chicago advocating for affordable access to safe drinking water. She now spends her fellowship with TNC supporting projects that work to conserve the lands and waters on which all life depends. This includes sustainable fisheries work in the Great Lakes, analyzing nature-based solutions in rural and urban areas, and promoting clean and renewable energy. This presentation will cover the unique type of reefs found in the Great Lakes and the benefits they provide to fish and people, along with the challenges faced by Great Lakes reefs.

Outside of work Autumn enjoys hanging with her cat, Gru, reading, trying out various forms of art, or visiting a museum.