Maven Mercado

Maven Mercado (they/he) is a 2026 candidate for the BS in environmental science with a concentration in applied environmental science. They are also double minoring in geoscience and biological sciences. Maven is a student in the Liberty Scholars Program, which awards underrepresented students with a full-tuition scholarship for twelve academic quarters. During the summer after their freshman year, they interned with Heights Philadelphia as a teaching/administrative assistant. For their first co-op, they were awarded funding in the amount of $6,000 from the Steinbright Partners Program to complete an unpaid co-op at the Philadelphia Zoo. Since January 2023, they have been working as a research assistant in the Invertebrate Paleontology department of the Academy of Natural Sciences. For their second co-op, they were awarded funding in the amount of $4,000 from the Research Fellowship Supplement Program to continue this research full-time. Through DAAD RISE, Maven will be doing research at Universität Hamburg, analyzing ostracod assemblages across the Permian-Triassic boundary to reconstruct paleoecological conditions.

Maven is a queer, Hispanic, first-generation North Philly native who takes pride in all of these identities. When they're not focuses on school, work, or research, they love reading, watching horror movies, and walking around the city. 

Maven has been involved in the Pennoni Honors College through the SuperNova Undergraduate Research Fellows Program.

Last updated: June 2024