Wonder Woman of the Week: Victoria Elana Vasquez

Shark Week is just around the corner and recent demographics research shows that women greatly outnumber men in watching the annual week of shark documentaries. Most scientists on Discovery Channel's documentaries however are men, but Vicky Vasquez is one of a small number of women appearing in Shark Week documentaries as a role model for future ichthyologists. Vasquez got her start in a combination of ecology and photography while obtaining her bachelor's degree from UC Davis. Since then, Vasquez has grown into a shark researcher well-known among her peers for front-lines research tagging sharks with shark-friendly and eco-friendly tracking systems and state of the art technology.

Apart from conducting field research, Victoria Vasquez is also a leading scientific writer on the subject of shark conservation, climate change's effect on world oceans, and efforts to combat ocean pollution. Vasquez works closely with the Pacific Shark Research Center as a leading researcher, but also works as a lecturer at Cal State. Vasquez has traveled as a guest lecturer and has appeared on Shark Week as one of only a small number of women to appear in Discovery Channel's documentaries. As more women and girls continue to dominate Shark Week's viewership, Vasquez and her women peers will become a new generation of role models for future women in wildlife biology.