Student Spotlight: Dinah Cohen

Meet Dinah, a recently graduated Biology major with a Natural Resources Conservation minor (offered through the Department of Environmental Conservation), who hails from Greenbelt, Maryland.  

Greenbelt was founded as a Civilian Conservation Core / New Deal town, full of green spaces, playgrounds, and sidewalks. “It was a great place to be a kid,” Dinah recalled. “I was able to access nature regularly—something that has definitely influenced me greatly.” Alongside her two dogs, Cricket and Robin, she carries on her love of the outdoors: “I love to climb trees.” 

Between Biology and Natural Resources Conservation, Dinah enjoyed an eclectic mix of courses that showcase the complexities of the world and offer methods to make sense of them. “My favorite classes were Ornithology (BIO 544) with Bruce Byers and Intro to GIS (NRC 585) with Forrest Bowlick,” she explained. “I love birds, so ornithology is right up my alley. Learning about bird biology and behavior was super fun and, since I hope to study birds in grad school, super helpful. I enjoyed using ArcGIS to make maps, and the various projects touched upon areas that will actually be applicable.” 

Outside of classes, Dinah worked at the Hadley Equestrian Farm. 

“I chose UMass for its large selection of majors—I wanted to be able to change my mind,” Dinah argued. UMass’s flexibility made such a change possible: she had originally wanted to major in Natural Resources Conservation, but she eventually worked with faculty to transition to Biology after deciding to focus more on hard science.  

Looking to the future, Dinah plans to build upon her UMass education and make science a major part of her professional path. She will begin attending Illinois State University this fall to earn a master’s degree in biology, with a focus in birds.