A first-year MEM student, focusing on Ecosystem Science & Conservation. After graduating from Washington University in St. Louis, Sam moved to San Francisco to work at Wells Fargo as a financial analyst in its Technology Industry Group. Working with renewable energy clients, Sam felt a greater need to address environmental issues. Shortly afterward, Sam returned to school to strengthen his understanding of conservation science. At the Nicholas School, Sam has worked with the Big Cats Initiative to map and analyze human impacts across the African Savannah. Today, Sam is interested in understanding economic institutions and incentives driving small-holder interactions with the environment, with a focus on payments for ecosystem services (i.e. REDD+). He is interested in the development of local capacities to engage greater management of natural resources. He hopes to work with local communities to understand culture-influenced resource management practices.