- Environmental Conservation Projects
- Photography and editing
- Road Trips
- Volunteering in fundraising events
Annesha Lahiri
Gainesville,FL
Summary
Conservation education and science communication professional with 5+ years of experience designing and delivering environmental education programs, facilitating stakeholder engagement, and evaluating conservation outreach initiatives. Former Senior Education Officer with WWF-India and current Ph.D. candidate at the University of Florida specializing in science communication, behavior change, and conservation outreach.
Overview
8
8
years of professional experience
Work History
Communications Program Assistant
University of Florida
01.2023 - Current
- Lead departmental science communication initiatives and digital outreach through social media handle.
- Develop a quarterly magazine highlighting conservation research and student achievements.
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Florida
01.2023 - Current
- Evaluate evidence-based digital science communication (social media, podcast)strategies for wildlife conservation.
- Assisted in developing online extension education and assess behavior change among land managers.
- Present research at conferences and collaborate across interdisciplinary teams.
Senior Education Officer
WWF-India
04.2021 - 11.2022
- Designed and delivered environmental education initiatives across four Indian states.
- Mentored 50+ volunteers, interns, and consultants supporting conservation projects.
- Developed monitoring and evaluation tools for conservation education programs.
- Coordinated WWF's 'Panda Speaks' youth podcast and digital education resources.
- Assisted in designing digital content “One Earth One Home”
Program Officer
WWF-India
07.2018 - 03.2021
- Led conservation education programs in human–wildlife conflict landscapes under the ‘Ek Prithvi’ Project (Sundarbans, West Bengal).
- Mentored interns in project management, improving team performance and efficiency.
- Designed surveys assessing conservation knowledge, attitudes, and behavioral intentions.
- Facilitated stakeholder engagement workshops to foster collaboration among local communities, government agencies, and NGOs.
Education
Ph.D. - Wildlife Ecology & Conservation
University of Florida
12-2026
M.Sc. - Zoology (Honors)
University of Calcutta
B.Sc. - Zoology (Honors)
University of Calcutta
Skills
- Science Communication
- Community Engagement and Outreach
- Conservation Education
- Program Management
- Facilitation
- Teamwork and collaboration
- Cross-cultural Collaboration
- Mentorship
- Monitoring & Evaluation
- Research abilities
- Qualtrics Survey design
- Report preparation
- Data Analysis in R
- Microsoft Office
Selected Publications
- Ecology & Evolution, 2026, https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.73735
- UF/IFAS EDIS publication, 2025, https://journals.flvc.org/edis/article/view/137511
- WWF-India education, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1R2mqyqYnlRADp3CnwgmYWXvT0zRlUjmZ/view?usp=sharing
- Outreach publications, https://drive.google.com/file/d/1r0j3UKx4TjQrVEAH7xK78Wpd5bb63TXh/view?usp=sharing
Accomplishments
- Labisky-Levey Scholarship
- Florida Wildlife Federation Scholarship
- Three Minute Thesis Award
- First class first (Madhusudan Banik Award) for Master's degree (University of Calcutta)
Training and Certification
• Wilderness First Aid – Standard/ Adult CPR & AED (Spring 2026)
• Representing UF/IFAS on Social Media (Spring 2024)
• Hunter Safety CERT 0000004505 (FL) (Fall 2023)
• Environmental Education and Communication Graduate Certificate (Ongoing)
Interests
Languages
English
Native or Bilingual
Hindi
Native or Bilingual
Bengali
Native or Bilingual
Timeline
Communications Program Assistant
University of Florida
01.2023 - Current
Graduate Research Assistant
University of Florida
01.2023 - Current
Senior Education Officer
WWF-India
04.2021 - 11.2022
Program Officer
WWF-India
07.2018 - 03.2021
M.Sc. - Zoology (Honors)
University of Calcutta
B.Sc. - Zoology (Honors)
University of Calcutta
Ph.D. - Wildlife Ecology & Conservation
University of Florida