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Fátima’s early experiences with livestock and animal shelters motivated her to earn a bachelor and master’s degree in biology, focused on animal behavior, zoo animal welfare, and animal social network dynamics surrounding guest experiences. This interest evolved into the role of social sciences in wildlife conservation during her time working with Rare, tracking and evaluating social marketing approaches to increase livelihoods and biodiversity in the agricultural sector. Today, she works on human dimensions of wildlife conservation and innovative approaches to planning and managing for species and habitat resilience. Fátima is the Assistant Curator of Conservation at Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens and a PhD student in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida. As a JZG employee, she serves as the facilitator between field partners, field opportunities, and staff, to increase employee participation and connection with wildlife and local communities. As a PhD student, she is working on understanding and incorporating key stakeholders’ valuation of marine wildlife and coastal habitats into natural resource planning efforts.