Melanie Quiñones is an Environmental Scientist and Program Manager for the Puerto Rico Energy Resilience Programs at IREC. She has a strong background in community engagement, strategic planning, and system thinking to advance sustainability and land conservation. She has conducted research projects across Hawaii, Belize, and Puerto Rico, and her professional appointments include multiple sectors like the academia, federal government, state government, and non-profit organizations. In 2020, Melanie received the 30 under 30 Environmental Educator award by the U.S. National Association for Environmental Education for her work in leading the Citizen Science Program and Community Engagement efforts at El Yunque National Forest Region. She earned a B.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of Puerto Rico and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Natural Resources Management from Cornell University. Melanie loves dancing, hiking, street photography, and learning new languages (currently learning French and Portuguese).