2025-2026 MW CASC Graduate Student
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Chelsea M. Peterson is a PhD candidate studying wetland ecology and restoration in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. She discovered her passion for sustainability early on when volunteering with local conservation groups in northern Illinois. After earning a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering at Cornell University, she returned to Illinois to complete her master’s degree in agricultural engineering, which was focused on reducing nutrient losses from row crop systems.
Chelsea’s dissertation research integrates field data collection, lab work, and geospatial tools to quantify how management decisions and hydrology influence tradeoffs between carbon storage and plant diversity in restored wetlands across Illinois. She is currently working to not only better quantity wetland ecosystem services at large spatial scales but also identify areas where wetland protection could alleviate climate-driven extremes, such as increased rainfall and longer droughts.
Outside of research, Chelsea loves spending quality time with family, especially her three nieces. She also enjoys reading, hiking, cycling, swimming, and playing the flute. She was recently certified as an open water scuba diver and is excited about future underwater adventures.
Research Topic: Quantifying the synergistic impacts of climate change and shifting policies on vulnerable wetland ecosystem services in Illinois