Well, after two winter breaks (one planned and one impromptu), we are glad to be back for the spring semester! As classes continue to get underway, hopefully without any more unplanned interruptions, we present our January student spotlight, highlighting Rylee Babino, who is a sophomore geography major. Since summer 2022, Rylee has been working with Drs. Fry and Ponette-Gonzalez to complete her Undergraduate Research Fellowship with the Honors College, with a particular research interest in urban forestry management. She has studied forest policy in four Texas Tree Cities USA, and more recently, has been exploring the role that technology plays in municipal forest management.

Rylee has always been intrigued by the factors that make a place or a group unique in some way. As a kid, she was always deeply interested in earth science: why mountains are where they are, why certain places are earthquake-prone and some aren't, and how the ecosystem in which she grew up could be so different from another place not too far from her. In high school, that initial interest in earth science grew to include human-environment interactions and the ways in which our society impacts the global ecosystem. Growing up in the era of climate change, Rylee has always been acutely aware of the "dismal state of human-environment relations," but through her studies and research, she feels empowered to become part of the solution that we so desperately need. "My consequential focus on why, how, and where humans are damaging our environment," she says, "paved the way for me to think like a geographer."

Rylee began life at UNT as an Ecology major, but after her advisor placed her in Geosystems, Environment, and Society (GEOG 2180), she came to realize that the geography program aligned far more closely with her interests, and "I changed my major to Geography just a few weeks into my very first semester." She was also impressed by the knowledgeable faculty and interesting course catalog, and felt that despite being a smaller program, the Geography department had a place for every student with professors who are eager to help them explore their interests.

Perhaps Rylee's favorite part about being an undergrad student at UNT is the many research opportunities available. Though only a sophomore, the Honors College has provided Rylee with research funding through their Summer Research and Undergraduate Research Fellowship programs. In a big school, "many students… get lost in the shuffle," Rylee says, "but UNT, the Honors College, and the Department of Geography give me plenty of opportunities to gain extracurricular experience in my field." Rylee is still deciding what she wants to do after she finishes her degree, considering either continuing on for her master's degree, jumping straight in to the consulting field, or possibly applying to law school to pursue environmental law. Whatever avenue she chooses, Rylee hopes to be instrumental to the improvement of sustainability and human-environmental relations in the future.

Focused as she is on her studies, Rylee still finds time to pursue other interests and hobbies. One of her favorite things to do is write - she loves to journal and write books in her spare time, and has been an active and avid writer since elementary school. She can also play the flute, twirl batons, and perform a traditional Texas high kick routine. To relax and clear her mind, Rylee likes to play video games and take walks. According to Rylee, one of the real "hidden gems" of Denton is the Martin Luther King Jr. Recreation Facility, which has many amenities, such as a fitness room, a basketball court, and arts and crafts. It is also a host for community events, where Rylee enjoys volunteering and interacting with the rec center staff and the greater Denton community.