alumni – coexist

climate justice, rooted in community

By Laura Bither ’18

Laura Bither ’18 graduated from Wesleyan with a degree in environmental studies and biology, with a minor in African Studies. She is currently director of JustME for JustUS, a nonprofit organization with a mission to invest in Maine’s young leaders to create lasting power for their rural communities and the natural environment. Laura shares her journey from Maine to Wes and back to Maine, below!

Whenever someone asks me why I chose Wesleyan, I always have the same response: I felt that it would shape me to be the person I wanted to become. While my exploration took a few turns, I double-majored in Biology & Environmental Studies with a minor in African Studies. My passion for climate justice has been a core part of me since I was 11 and I had a moment of clarity that I wanted to be an “environmentalist” when I grew up. It was only when I got to Wesleyan and learned about climate justice that everything clicked into place. Fall of my freshman year, I took the AMST Intro to Pop Culture and Social Justice course and it blew my mind. I had no idea how all social issues intersect with climate, and learning case studies about the Lower Ninth Ward and environmental racism was the spark that solidified my passion.

sage loomis ’18: from farms to food systems

by Laurie Kenney

Sage Loomis ‘18 is a food and agriculture systems professional passionate about school meals, food access, and social justice. A biology and environmental studies major during her time at Wes, she is currently a graduate student at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts.

Hi, Sage! Looking back, what part of your Wesleyan experience most prepared you for your career?
One of the most directly relevant pieces of my Wesleyan experience was leading a produce co-op! The experience of working with farmers to source produce weekly and distribute it to the student body was similar to the Community Supported Agriculture work I did a few years later. It also gave me experience in basic budgeting and managing volunteers, which are generally applicable skills! The other experience that prepared me for the work I am currently doing was writing a senior thesis. The ability to read and understand scientific literature and then synthesize it is extremely useful in advocacy work. Also, having good writing skills is invaluable!

goh ’24: from wesleyan to washington

by Laurie Kenney

Debbra Goh ‘24 (ENVS/RELI) recently completed a year-long James C. Gaither Junior Fellowship at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, in Washington, DC. She is currently a research assistant for the Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics Program there.

What research did you work on as part of the Gaither Junior Fellows program?
I finished my tenure as a junior fellow in summer 2025, but I continue to work as a Research Assistant in the Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. I contribute to a range of research initiatives spanning the program’s core focus. My work spans four main areas: the geopolitics of clean energy technology, climate mobility, climate activism, and climate adaptation.

pierre Gerard ’16: on a path to Sustainable Commuting

by sjager

Pierre Gerard ’16 graduated from Wesleyan with a degree in environmental studies and earth and environmental science. He is currently the transportation planner at the City of Oakland Bicycle and Pedestrian Program in Oakland, California. We recently spoke with Pierre about his time at Wes and his post-Wes experience!

Can you walk me through how you got from Wesleyan graduation to where you are now?
My first job out of college was an internship with the US Forest Service in Portland, Oregon. I worked out of their regional office for the Pacific Northwest, mostly performing GIS map work, making maps online. I did that for about six months, and eventually found my way over to a contract with Apple, working on Apple Maps––I did not like that. I moved over to another contract job doing more GIS work, decided that I didn’t like that either, and ended up quitting that job to work at a bike shop. And so my story, I think, is essentially me attempting to understand what it’s like to be a technical worker post college, and realizing that I didn’t like it and needed something else.

bery ’21 studies city-level climate planning

by ssekkmmiles

Sanya Bery ‘21 graduated from Wes with majors in government and environmental studies. She is currently a graduate candidate in environmental justice, sustainable development, and urban planning at the University of Michigan.

As an environmental studies student at Wesleyan, how did your academic and extracurricular experiences shape your decision to pursue graduate studies in environmental justice and urban planning?
The Bailey College of the Environment was such a unique program; it approached environmental issues through a justice-oriented lens, which isn’t common for undergrad programs. If not for the COE, I might have felt hesitant about pursuing this path because environmental studies can feel so focused on pure science and conservation. My thesis project with Professor Haddad, which analyzed the ambitious aspects of Middletown’s Climate Action Plan, prepared me well for graduate school.

nodiff ’19 creates climate imaginarium

by acmorris

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.