Station: Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge and Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area

Years Served: 2013-2015

Hometown: Middletown, Rhode Island

Pre-Fellowship Education:

• Master’s Degree, Master of City and Regional Planning from Rutgers University-New Brunswick
• Bachelor of Arts in Comparative Literature & Spanish Literature from Colorado College

Bio: During her assignment, Marisa Rodriguez-McGill explored multi-modal transportation opportunities to increase access and connectivity to two newly designated wildlife refuges: Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge (NWR) and Rio Mora National Wildlife Refuge and Conservation Area (NWRCA). Marisa is motivated to integrate design with transportation and planning in her mission to create successful places for movement and activity in our communities. After three years as a New York City pedestrian, cyclist and public space user, she was excited to return to the Southwest where she hoped to take up mountain biking and enjoy blue corn tortillas.

Current Position (2024): Senior Public Policy Manager, Rideshare, Lyft

Other Post-Fellowship Education/Job(s):

• Master of Environmental Management from Yale School of the Environment
• Trust for Public Lands Fellow at Climate-Smart Cities Program
• Government Relations team member at ofo (largest bike share operator in the world at the time)