Mini Grants as a Tool for Community Resilience

Written by: Ileana Fenwick

Ileana posed next to the large marine iguana statue at the UNC Chapel Hill Center for Galapagos Studies 

During the final year of my PhD, I have been thinking about the ecosystems I study, and about the ecosystems I am part of. I am a PhD Candidate in Marine Sciences at UNC Chapel Hill, where I work in a Quantitative Fisheries Ecology lab. My research focuses on understanding how marine communities change over time and how we can meaningfully quantify ecological stability. Studying community change requires thinking deeply about resilience, connection, and what it means to persist through shifting conditions and harsh environments. As I have moved through my dissertation work, I began asking those same questions of myself.

I joined Black Women in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Science (BWEEMS) during graduate school because I wanted a community where I belong and where my identity is valued and celebrated. What I found in BWEEMS was sisterhood, creativity, laughter, accountability, and a reminder that being a scientist does not require shrinking any part of myself to fit. The BWEEMS Mini Grant supported me at a pivotal moment in my PhD journey and I am so thankful to BWEEMS for this award. The financial relief during the already demanding period of work made it possible for me to remain on track for my degree and gave me the space to be a better scientist, colleague, and community member. During this time, I completed and submitted my second dissertation chapter for publication entitled “Temporal beta diversity reveals negative coupling of variability and directionality.” This work was supported by a BWEEMS Mini Grant, which helped me remain grounded and focused while completing a major phase of my dissertation research. The support from this award was not abstract, it genuinely meant I could think more clearly, rest more honestly, and show up to my research and my community with my full self present.

Ileana with fellow BWEEMS at the 2025 Conference in Durham, NC. 

Thank you BWEEMS!