Nia Jeffers

Nia Jeffers is a conservation ecologist with a background in Human Biology and Marine, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology. She was born in St. Kitts and Nevis and raised in the Virgin Islands (UK). The H. Lavity Stoutt Community College (HLSCC) Alumna graduated in 2014, with an Associate of Science in General Science degree, and went on to further her studies at St. George’s University in Grenada where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biology.  

Currently, she is in the final stages of completing a Master of Science in Biological Sciences degree with a concentration in Marine Biology at the University of New Hampshire, where her research centres on the restoration and preservation of mangrove habitats. Nia’s contributions to the field of marine biology and conservation have earned her several prestigious awards and honours. In 2023, she received the University of New Hampshire (UNH) Summer Teaching Fellowship Award, which recognised her excellence in education and outreach. Shortly thereafter, she was honoured with the UNH Sustainability Award in the category of Graduate Research, acknowledging her innovative research in sustainability practices and ecological restoration. Nia has also been awarded the WELL/BEINGS Warrior Award for her commitment to celebrating the connection between living things and the planet.  

Nia currently serves as the Coastal Resilience Programme Coordinator at the HLSCC’s Centre for Applied Marine Studies (CAMS). Her work includes organising community-based initiatives that protect and restore the BVI’s coastal habitats, and creating educational materials and programmes that help raise awareness about environmental sustainability, climate change, and other environmental threats.