Gabriel Chavez
Educator
Brief info
Since Gabriel (he/him) was young, his curiosity guided him through the wonders of the natural world. As an Inland Empire native, he was lucky enough to experience the coastal sage scrub mega blooms to the west, the rugged forests of the San Bernardino Mountains to the north, and vivid desert sunrises to the east. These experiences in his youth shaped the focus of his studies at the University of California, Riverside (UCR).
At UCR, Gabriel was active in many different research groups where he studied
harvester ants, bumblebees, and plant genetics. His most memorable experience was a field expedition to Santa Cruz Island where he and 9 other students surveyed native and invasive plants on historically grazed and ungrazed parts of the island. Now with HAWK’s LA, Gabriel hopes his unique experiences in research will spark young explorers’ minds to think of the “why’s” in nature.
This upcoming Fall, Gabriel will start a PhD program at the University of Oregon to study the genetics of the native monkey flower and its ecological significance. Gabriel hopes to share his findings with Southern California researchers and educators in the years to come.