Sydney Mantell (she/they) describes herself as a “professional ocean enthusiast” who uses creative and performing arts to convey scientific information, critique systems of oppression, and connect communities with their natural environment. As a doctoral student in Biological and Environmental Sciences at the University of Rhode Island, Sydney is interested in using collage as a method of inquiry to explore people’s relationships with oceans and coasts.

As the first in her family to graduate from college, Sydney received the Gates Millennium Scholarship, allowing her to pursue an education up to the doctoral level in the field of science. Her journey began at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology with minors in Computer Science and Education in 2020. From there, Sydney attended Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. In the Master of Environmental Management program, their major project, Entanglement, consisted of community art events and a collaborative zine. She graduated in 2023 within the Coastal Environmental Management concentration, earning certificates in Community-Based Environmental Management and Environmental Communications. 

Prior to joining URI, Sydney worked at NOAA Research’s Office of Communications as a John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellow and has experience in college advising. Outside of school, Sydney loves going to concerts and making all kinds of artwork including collages, fluid paintings, and mosaics. She also has a passion for CBS’s Survivor and has always dreamed of being on the show.