Olivia Quintanilla

uc san diego

Email: 
oquintan@ucsd.edu

Biography

Olivia Quintanilla received her AA in Communication Studies from Miramar Community College and her BA in Urban Studies from San Diego State University in 2013. She is currently a 4th year PhD student in the department of Ethnic Studies at UC San Diego, a Graduate Campus and Climate Intern, a San Diego/Imperial County Community College Association (SDICCCA) intern, and County of San Diego Graduate Intern. Her research is concerned with environmental justice, and specifically examines climate activism around the alarming rise of sea-level in Pacific Islands such as Kirbati and Guam and its contingencies on Indigenous knowledge of environmental care that asserts Indigenous and island futurity. As part of the Humanists@Work Graduate Advisory Committee, she is invested in creating conversations and opportunities for PhDs to feel supported, empowered, and valued outside of academia. Olivia is passionate about inspiring humanities and social science students to diversify career options and re-imagine the labor and experience of a PhD in order to achieve high life and job satisfaction.