EFIMED’s Mercedes Caron selected to join the Global Young Academy
EFI is pleased to announce that Junior Researcher, Mercedes Caron, has been selected as a member of the Global Young Academy, an international society of young scientists.
Dr Caron recently joined EFI’s Mediterranean Facility where she works on projects dealing with the interface between forests and society in the Mediterranean basin and Europe. She was selected to become a member of the Global Young Academy (GYA) based on the excellence of her scientific research but also on her demonstrated societal engagement, after her two successive rounds of reviews by a Selection Committee.
Mercedes is currently focussing on making the outputs of research and innovation more accessible for foresters and advisors across Europe, identifying regional needs and transferring the developed knowledge where it is most needed. Mercedes’ work interests include biodiversity management and conservation with special focus on the adaptation and mitigation of the impacts of global change. Her passion for the study of nature took her to work in different continents where she focussed manly in forest ecology in the face of global change, species-specific and traits-driven responses, and its consequences at community level.
The Global Young Academy (GYA) aims to give a voice to young scientists around the world. The GYA develops, connects, and mobilises young talent from the six continents, and empowers young researchers to lead international, interdisciplinary, and intergenerational dialogue and research. The GYA aims to elevate the voice of young scientists in evidence-informed and inclusive global, regional, and national decision making.
The GYA has 200 members, all young scientists between 30 to 40 years of age, selected for their scientific excellence and commitment to engage with society and passionate about the role of science in creating a better world. All members serve five-year terms and that are currently 200 members and 366 alumni (as of 2022) spread around the globe. Members and alumni together represent 100 countries and many fields of research.
GYA members engage in working groups, strategic projects, and collaborations with international organisations. These activities are clustered into four thematic areas of relevance for society and scientific debate:
- Science and Society;
- GYA & the Sustainable Development Goals;
- Research Environment;
- Science Education & Outreach.
The GYA publishes statements on pressing global issues, trains young scientists in cross-cutting skills such as science advice and science communication, and provides a dynamic platform for blue-sky ideas to form and unfold.
