Aberdeen Leary is a Master's of Science graduate candidate at University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and is a member of the Informal Sustainability Lab. At SEAS, Aberdeen Leary is specializing in Environmental Justice and Ecosystem Science and Management. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin–Madison in 2018 with a B.A. in English and certificates in African Studies, Environmental Studies, and Global Health. As an undergraduate, she was heavily involved with UW-Madison’s African Studies Program and interned in Accra, Ghana with the NGO Days for Girls. After graduating, she worked in a variety of environmental education positions including Wisconsin’s Ice Age Trail Alliance and Henry Vilas Zoo. Aberdeen’s current research, supervised by Dr. Heidi Hausermann, investigates human-wildlife dynamics in the wake of extensive artisanal and small-scale gold mining activities in Ghana. In particular, she is interested in how ASGM and subsequent land use cover change have impacted communities’ relationships to wildlife, with a focus on hunting and bushmeat dynamics. Outside of research, she enjoys backpacking, playing music, and being near the ocean.