Student Spotlight
Kylie Papson
Kylie Papson is a Graduate Student at the University of Nevada, Reno (UNR). Kylie graduated from UNR in 2020 with three bachelor's degrees: French, Anthropology, and Art. During Covid, Kylie began working in marketing up the hill in Truckee, at Tahoe Donner. She worked there for two and a half years before coming back to work in marketing for UNR. Much of her work with UNR was in Tahoe, which sparked her interest in water policy and governance in the area. This led to her returning full-time as a graduate student, seeking her Master’s in Anthropology where she is researching how people interact with and create dialogue about water policy in the Tahoe region, and how that affects water governance choices. How interesting!
Kylie learned about NWRA from social media posts in the past, but most recently, the opportunity to join NWRA came across her path from a class presentation at UNR. Kylie would like to be involved in meetings about water policy and governance, or with any legislative work to get a glimpse into what these processes look like for Nevada. With her marketing background, Kylie shares that she could also contribute through social media assistance and campaign creation if needed.
NWRA can help students with their career and/or education goals. As a new member, Kylie hopes NWRA will help her become more involved with policy, legal, and governance processes of water so that she can gain experience in this field and contribute through her own knowledge of water systems across the world. She shares that current students can participate in events that would help that learn more about water processes in Nevada, and work as advocates for the NWRA team.
As final advice from a new student member, Kylie advises to the Board of Directors that opening doors to non-science students can contribute to water research in a way that will open dialogue about who has access to water resources, and that will promote an interest in water policy and governance in Nevada. She expresses gratitude for the opportunity to be involved in this way.
How refreshing, Kylie! Thank you for sharing your unique perspective and we cannot wait for you to join NWRA events and learn more about your efforts. Don’t forget to check out the Student Poster Opportunities, Scholarship Opportunities, and the many events NWRA hosts across Nevada all year long. Good luck and enjoy the remainder of your master’s program!
