DURHAM, N.C. – Terah Donovan, program manager at Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency in Morgan Hill, Calif., shared insights on “Evaluating Conservation Progress and Priorities During Program Implementation,” during a two-day Alumni-in-Residence program on Jan. 26-17.

Donovan received her Master of Environmental Management degree from the Nicholas School in 2007.

At Santa Clara Valley Habitat Agency, she currently helps lead efforts to conserve and restore a 50,000-acre reserve system in California’s fast-growing Silicon Valley region. The reserve is intended to help protect 18 rare and endangered species found there, while also providing benefits to the region’s human population.

During her two-day stint as Alumna-in-Residence, Donovan met with current Nicholas School students and shared insights on handling the wide array of challenges associated with implementing a large-scale conservation project in a rapidly developing region – including permitting, land acquisition, financing and funding, restoration strategies, management and monitoring, community outreach, program evaluation, and grant writing.

She also shared career advice and networking tips with students during informal meetings.

You can see a video interview (below) about Donovan’s work in Santa Clara Valley, and how her Nicholas School education helped prepare her for success.

The Alumni-in-Residence Program brings outstanding alums back to campus to share their career insights and advice with current students. It’s sponsored by the Nicholas School’s Career & Professional Development Center.