acmorris – coexist

nodiff ’19 creates climate imaginarium

Josh Nodiff ’19 graduated from Wes with a double major in environmental studies and American studies. He is the founder and executive director of the Climate Imaginarium, a consortium of climate organizations with a center for the arts on Governors Island in New York City.

For those who are unfamiliar with this project, what is the Climate Imaginarium?
The Climate Imaginarium (@climateimaginarium) is a new consortium of climate organizations with a center for the arts on Governors Island in New York City. The Imaginarium serves as a community center for climate and culture, with galleries and spaces for exhibitions, performances, film screenings, and events that respond to the climate crisis with solutions and visions for hope and justice. Programming is offered by a range of institutions, initiatives, and organizations, coming together under one roof to reimagine a just and regenerative future.

backer ’22 passionate about enviro policy

by acmorris

Since completing her two-year fellowship with the Environmental Law Institute, Sarah Backer’22 (government/Chinese) has joined The Good Food Institute as a policy associate supporting the alternative protein sector through policy research and analysis, materials development, and direct outreach to decision makers.

Hello Sarah! Would you share where you are from, and what you studied during your time Wesleyan?
I’m from New York City originally, and I decided to go to Wesleyan because I liked that all of the students seemed to be really passionate about what they were studying. The students were ambitious and intellectual, but not overly competitive or cutthroat. People were able to pursue a variety of interests. I majored in government, and I took a lot of environmental studies classes and was a College of East Asian studies minor. I also received a writing certificate. I knew that I wanted my work to eventually be climate-related and decided that college would be a good opportunity to take classes in a variety of areas.

How did your courses at Wesleyan translate into skills that you have found to be valuable in the workplace? Did your courses influence your perspective on climate change?
I think that my minor in East Asian studies really made me more diligent. Learning how to write Mandarin characters was a very intensive process, and I had to pay incredible attention to detail. I think those skills really translated to the workplace after Wesleyan. Although at first my writing certificate was just for my own enjoyment, I think it also made me a better writer, which is a valuable skill, post-college.

villegas ’21 pursues interest in enviro justice

by acmorris

Jolie Villegas ’21 grew up in San Francisco and majored in environmental studies and biology at Wes. After receiving her master’s degree at Columbia, she became a clean power analyst at the Environmental Defense Fund. Today, she is an analyst at the World Resources Institute.

How did you develop an interest in studying and working in the environment? How did your experience at Wesleyan influence your decision to work in this industry?
I was born and raised in San Francisco, California, which is a very green and environmentally focused city. It’s easy to adapt individual sustainable behavior practices when you’re surrounded by a community of like-minded people.

I initially thought about environmentalism as an individual issue, caused by consumerism and waste. Then, through my classes at Wes, I got a much more holistic picture of climate change and all of the anthropogenic actions that are contributing to inequitable climate impact. I shifted my field of study from the conservation side, into climate and environmental justice.

meet our bailey coe 2024 summer fellows!

by acmorris

Every year, the Bailey COE awards fellowships to fund summer (and spring and fall) research opportunities for Wesleyan students across all majors and class years. Most recently, the Bailey COE awarded almost 40 fellowships to Wes students. Learn a little bit more about each, below! Applications for summer 2024, fall 2024 and spring 2025 Bailey COE fellowships will open in January 2024.

Ava Guralnick ‘25 plans to use personal storytelling narratives to combine the perspectives of Asian American Studies and Environmental Studies. She will examine the ways in which various spatial and temporal geographies of land can provide new ways to understand and locate the interwoven histories of imperial conflict, connection, and new kinship/family making processes.

senior spotlight: kiran kling ’24

by acmorris

How did you first become interested in the environment?
I started thinking and asking and learning about different ways to deal with climate change when I was really young. I used to have a plan to build an electric car company, and I would drag my parents to conferences on renewable energy. I was very concerned that there was this problem, and nobody was paying attention, and felt like somebody had to do something about it. I thought that I would try and play as much of a role as I could. When I finally had the freedom to study climate solutions in college I jumped at the chance.

What led you to choose your majors, environmental studies and government?
When I got to Wesleyan I decided that I really loved the environmental studies major, and I didn’t want to be boxed into taking the entire earth and environmental science curriculum, particularly online during covid. I liked the variety within the environmental studies major, and I really liked learning about policy, which led me to pursue the government major as well. I chose Wesleyan in large part because of our open curriculum and academic flexibility. I’ve been lucky to take fantastic IDEAS, biology, E&ES, and religion classes alongside my major coursework.

senior spotlight: amara leazer ’24

by acmorris

What are your combined majors/minors?
My primary major is a university major for environmental and ecological design and engineering. It’s linked with environmental studies and I have a minor in IDEAS.

Can you tell me about your university major? How you created it, what drew you to it, and what it consists of?
I was originally in earth and environmental science. I liked it but some of the requirements were just not going to be helpful for what I wanted to do, and I wouldn’t be able to take other classes that would be more helpful. IDEAS wasn’t a major yet—now, it’s the College of Design and Engineering Studies. So, there was no major that let you build stuff, and I wanted to build stuff. That’s why I made the university major. It’s been super fun and I haven’t had to take too many classes that I don’t want to, so I recommend it.

zaks ’99 relishes role in enviro communications

by acmorris

Laura Zaks ’99 is an international food security specialist with expertise in the intersection of agriculture, climate, economic development, nutrition, and public health. She is the associate director of communications and development for the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition in Washington, DC.

Hello Laura! Would you tell me about your path into working in food security?
It’s been a long journey, when I was at Wesleyan I didn’t know that I wanted to work in food security. I was more interested in broader issues surrounding economic development and community development, but wasn’t really sure how I would work in that space.

I had a period of trial and error. I was actually a College of Letters major and was originally focused on humanities. I really loved history and thought about law school, but because I had studied languages, I was also interested in working abroad. I ended up traveling to Panama, and working there for two years.