Alexander Cotnoir

Alexander’s passion for STEM education is rooted in his home in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont where a love of nature, hiking, and hunting alongside his grandfather created a passion for wildlife conservation, ecology, and agriculture. As a Dartmouth College undergraduate, he served as a teaching assistant for ecology and writing courses and worked in the university’s rare books and archives collections to explore his interest in regional history. As a member of the Nulhegan Abenaki Nation, Alexander is particularly passionate about exploring the ways in which Indigenous communities relate to Vermont’s landscapes. After graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies and a concentration in Native American Studies, Alexander has worked in outdoor educational programs across Vermont and more recently at the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute. His experiences working with programs helping first-generation students prepare for collegiate social and academic pressures have informed his passion for supporting students who struggle to find their place in academics. In his spare time, he is training for his first marathon, publishing a thesis on migratory warblers, and honing his harmonica playing skills.