A Message from CURes Managing Director
It is with a heavy heart that I write these words in remembrance of CURes research assistant Jordan Lindsey, whose life was tragically cut short last week. She was a bright light in our center every day.
Jordan joined the LMU Center for Urban Resilience (CURes) team in the beginning of 2019, when she answered a job ad for a research assistant. Though she didn’t have research experience, it was clear in our interview that she was intellectually curious, passionate, and committed. Her personality shone through, and I knew immediately she would be a delightful addition to our team. I hired her to assist with our research projects, but also to help produce some of our marketing and communications. Jordan was a perfect fit for our fast-paced, multi-project center. She was always willing to pitch in on any project, big (writing blog posts and newsletters, collecting field data) or small (filling bird feeders, stuffing envelopes). She popped into my office every day, asking for guidance or offering to do more. In the short time she was with us, Jordan absorbed everything she could about our work. She loved animals and children, excitedly working with us on wildlife projects and taking a personal interest in learning more about our young children.
Jordan wanted to get more involved with research, and I encouraged her to apply for the Summer Undergraduate Research Program. She was enthusiastic to learn more about how people interact with wildlife, so we developed a research project to combine her communications and environmental studies interests: examining the media’s influence on public perceptions of coyotes. In her words, she hoped her work could contribute toward “allowing coyotes and humans to peacefully coexist.”
Jordan was eager to learn, seeking guidance on her research and writing. She took critique gracefully and used it to improve. She was poised to go far in her career and life.
We will miss her terribly.
Dr. Michele Romolini