Nyazia Sajdah-Bey

Nyazia is a West Philadelphia native with an interest in biomechanics, in both fossil and living species. Before the RAY fellowship, she worked firstly in a fossil fish lab at her alma mater before eventually working on crab biomechanics research at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Now an avid crab-enthusiast, she is excited to begin work on conservation campaigns at Oceana. 

Nyazia graduated from the University of Pennsylvania (‘20) with a B.A. in Earth Science with a concentration in Environmental Science. As a student she was heavily involved in environmental clubs on campus, and served on the board of the Student Sustainability Association at Penn, the Earth Science Undergraduate Advisory Board, and Epsilon Eta environmental fraternity. She also served as president of QuestBridge Scholars at Penn, a club dedicated to supporting first-generation low-income students on campus. 

Nyazia has a deep investment in diversity and inclusion in the marine sciences and believes that policy change is driven when marginalized voices are at the forefront. In her spare time, she enjoys video games, cats, and puzzles, and coloring.