Born and raised in Birmingham, Hazel has been interested in environmental advocacy and research since her involvement in a stormwater research program in high school. In 2023 she graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. As an undergraduate student, Hazel fell in love with environmental research and worked in labs studying various subjects, including corals, aquatic microbes, and macroalgae. Throughout the summer of 2023, she worked as the Swim Guide Lab Technician for Cahaba Riverkeeper, processing general water quality samples collected from popular recreation sites each week. Enjoying her time as an intern, she returned to Cahaba Riverkeeper in the fall of 2023 as an AmeriCorps Vista member through UAB. As the Education and Outreach Coordinator, she aided in launching Cahaba Riverkeeper’s first year of the Environmental Leadership Program, a program for high school students interested in pursuing environmental careers.

Valuing the importance of local environmental nonprofits, Hazel plans to continue her involvement in environmental advocacy and education through her position as a YPRD member and member of Cahaba Riverkeeper’s junior board. She is currently working as a Lab Technician in Dr. Dustin Kemp’s lab at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, aiding in the progression of the ecological research of marine invertebrates.