Kirby Parnell is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation, originally from Tahlequah, Oklahoma. She is a PhD Candidate in the Marine Mammal Research Program whose research focuses on the underwater acoustic communication of the endangered Hawaiian monk seal, using passive acoustic monitoring and biologging tags to explore how these animals use sound in their natural habitat. In addition to her research, Kirby co-founded the Summer Marine Mammal Intensive Learning Experience (SMMILE), an educational program that provides hands-on research opportunities for high school students in Hawai‘i and American Samoa, with a focus on empowering students from historically marginalized communities.