Jill Fernandes, PhD

I am a lifelong student of the beauty that is Nature. I'm fascinated with animals, clouds, trees, and water.

​​

I'm a writer, painter, scientist, sailor, and curious naturalist. Growing up on a small farm in Missouri amidst cattle, dogs, cats, and wildlife, I have a deep-seated interest in the workings of Nature and the social behaviour of all animals, including humans.

I was lucky enough to attend the public Lee's Summit School District, where my wonderful teachers coached and supported my love of writing and the sciences, and to get a scholarship to do an interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Policy at the sunny University of Miami, Florida, with some incredibly forward-thinking mentors at the Leonard and Jayne Abess Center. During those years and since, I've been a Fulbright Scholar for a year in Heidelberg, Germany, a Graduate Research Fellow of the National Science Foundation (two years of wading through Brisbane's swamps), a published author (after four years of writing), and since 2021, the founder of a beautifully collaborative venture to shape a better world for animals, Animal Centric.

​​​​

If I could be anyone in history, I would be Charles Darwin. But I think this period of our natural history brings its own unique opportunities, so I'm perfectly content being alive now, just as Jill.

​​​

I don't like CVs. But if you're looking for mine, it's on LinkedIn.