After leading outdoor experiential education voyages and managing the logistics of a large nonprofit’s outpost for a decade, Beckett set out to put his skills to use in academia.

He’s studied at Coastal Carolina University and University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he’s working toward a Ph.D. in Forest and Wildlife Ecology with a speciality in remote sensing.

For four years, he ran the drone program for the Townsend lab at UW-Madison. He has collaborated with research teams at universities around the country and leading global remote sensing technology companies.

Ellie is a writer, entrepreneur and communications professional at one of the largest public media nonprofits in the country.