Investing in the Future of the Everglades: Meet the 2025-26 ForEverglades Fellows
- The Everglades Foundation
- Sep 22
- 3 min read
Every year, a new cohort of passionate scientists steps forward to tackle one of America’s most complex and vital ecosystems: the Everglades. And thanks to the generosity of donors and the vision of The Everglades Foundation, their work is getting the spotlight and support it deserves.
The Foundation has proudly announced the recipients of the 2025-26 ForEverglades Research Enhancement Grants, a program that has been fueling groundbreaking research since 2008. With more than $2.2 million awarded to 111 graduate students to date, many past fellows have gone on to become leading voices in environmental science and policy. The grants of up to $30,000 each help full-time master’s and doctoral students explore specific challenges and wonders associated with Everglades restoration.
“It was a distinct honor to receive a record number of applications this year,” said Dr. Steve Davis, Chief Science Officer at The Everglades Foundation. “The caliber of talent, along with the breadth and diversity of research proposals, was truly exceptional.”
A Tapestry of Research Across the Ecosystem
The selected projects are as diverse and dynamic as the Everglades themselves. From mangrove methane emissions to juvenile shark migration, the studies reflect the intricacies and environmental pressures shaping South Florida’s wetlands.
Meet the 2025-26 ForEverglades Research Enhancement Grant Awardees
Johnathan Gewirtzman (Yale University) – Volo Foundation ForEverglades Fellow
Exploring how mangrove trees mediate methane emissions across disturbance gradients.
Preetika Chand (Florida International University) – Green Family Foundation ForEverglades Fellow
Investigating how mangroves respond to PFAs stress and their potential for phytoremediation.
Samiul Kaiser (Florida State University) – ForEverglades Fellow
Enhancing projections of short-duration extreme rainfall events—critical for climate resilience.
Jennalie Lutes (Florida Atlantic University) – Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund ForEverglades Fellow
Studying stable isotope signatures in aquatic fauna and wading birds around Lake Okeechobee.
João Valle-Pereira (Oregon State University) – Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation ForEverglades Fellow
Examining how sea level rise and social dynamics affect bottlenose dolphin feeding in Florida Bay.
Julia Saltzman (University of Miami) – Patrick P. Lee Foundation ForEverglades Fellow
Using biotelemetry to track juvenile shark connectivity across Everglades bays.
Christopher Feliciano (Florida International University) – ForEverglades Fellow
Analyzing how water management and saltwater intrusion reshape biogeochemistry in urban canals.
The Foundation also recognized three outstanding researchers with honorable mentions:
Savannah Kane (University of Florida)
Veronica Restrepo (Florida International University)
Paisley Samuel (Nova Southeastern University)
Powered by Partnership
This program thrives thanks to a coalition of committed partners:
Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, Green Family Foundation, Patrick P. Lee Foundation, and Volo Foundation. Additional support comes from the Batchelor Foundation, Crawford Taylor Foundation, Farmer Family Foundation, and Woodbury Foundation.
Check out last year's ForEverglades Fellows in action in our 2024 recap video!
Want to learn more?
You’re in the right place. For more than 30 years, The Everglades Foundation has been the premier organization fighting to restore and protect the precious Everglades ecosystem through science, advocacy, and education.
Join the movement to restore and protect the global treasure that is America’s Everglades. Sign up to learn more. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube, and X (formerly Twitter). Give a gift of any amount you can to support our mission at EvergladesFoundation.org/Donate.
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