Gabby Rizzo is a fourth-year student in Microbiology at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst. She is a recipient of the 2022 MASGC Fellowship. Her current research involves competition among thermophilic autotrophs in resource-limited environments. She is most interested in discovering evidence of past or present life on Mars, and how those microbes thrive. She feels this important to enhance our understanding of early Earth’s history, and the evolution of microbial life. Aside from academia, Gabby enjoys hiking, reading and volunteering in her local community. Gabby is the Vice President and Treasurer of Agnostic Life Finding Association Inc., (ALFA).