Thomas Morales earned his bachelor’s degree in environmental science at San Diego State University (SDSU). He is now entering the second year of his master’s degree in public health with an emphasis on environmental science. Recently, Morales won the second-ever Switzer Fellowship at SDSU.
The fellowship includes a $15,000 cash award for a study in environmental improvement, access to more than 700 Switzer Fellowship alumni, and professional development.
“Applying to the fellowship was a very in-depth process but it made me realize who I am, where I am, what I am doing, and what my importance is,” Morales told Lainie Fraser. “The process helped me learn a lot more about my culture and really opened my eyes to what my purpose is as an environmental scientist for the last five years.”
Morales is a member of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada. His research is focused on plans to reverse some of the environmental contamination in tribal lands, including those on his native land.
“There is a lot of human impact on our land due to gold mining, silver mining, intensive agriculture, and nuclear bomb testing,” said Morales. “All of these human interactions cause negative impacts to Western Shoshone territory, and I plan to alleviate this throughout my career.”
Morales is hoping to also inspire more young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
“There is a great need to increase the amount of Indigenous youth involved in STEM,” said Morales. “It is vital to get that pathway flowing. We need more native teachers and we need more people spreading our truth. I am proud to be someone who can help native youth visualize themselves in bigger arenas.”
Click here to read more about the 2021 Switzer Fellows.
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