Every year, the Bailey COE awards fellowships to fund summer, fall and spring research opportunities for Wesleyan students across all majors and class years. Biology major and environmental studies and Jewish studies minor Ben McMahon ‘24 spent his summer examining the tritrophic interactions involving white oak, phloem feeding insects, caterpillars and ants, and the ecological impact the different trophic levels have on one another.
Every year, the Bailey COE awards fellowships to fund summer research opportunities for Wesleyan students across all majors and class years. Most recently, the COE awarded more than 40 fellowships to Wes students. Sophia Neiblum ’26 is an E&ES and biology major who worked at the Alaska SeaLife Center in Seward, Alaska, as a seabird research intern last summer.
For my summer fellowship, I worked at the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) as a seabird research intern. The ASLC is a marine research center, public aquarium, and rescue and rehabilitation center in Seward, Alaska. Home to the Kenai Fjords national park, Seward hosts an incredible diversity of marine life. I interned in the ASLC’s seabird research lab, led by Dr. Tuula Hollmen from the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
My experiences as an environmental studies major at Wesleyan have broadened my horizons and opened me to an expansive range of new perspectives. I have had many wonderful opportunities throughout my time at Wesleyan and am grateful to have had the support of a number of faculty mentors. I have especially appreciated the interdisciplinary nature of my environmental studies major and have found that the coursework combines well with my government major and international relations concentration.
Every year, the Bailey COE awards fellowships to fund summer research opportunities for Wesleyan students across all majors and class years. Most recently, the Bailey COE awarded more than 40 fellowships to Wes students. Zack O’Connor ‘26 is a prospective film and environmental studies double major. For his summer project funded by the Bailey COE, he produced a documentary about white nose syndrome, a devastating fungal disease that has had a catastrophic impact on bat populations across North America. Zack’s film focuses on how white nose syndrome has impacted bats on Martha’s Vineyard.
Debbra Goh ‘24 is an environmental studies and region major. She is a Bailey College of the Environment summer fellowship recipient and has utilized this support to work on her senior thesis, which will examine the Orang Laut community in Singapore and national narratives of development. She is also a Bailey COE Think Tank fellow, a member of the Wesleyan Green Fund, and cofounder of WesThrift, Wesleyan’s free thrift store.
Every year, the Bailey COE awards fellowships to fund summer research opportunities for Wesleyan students across all majors and class years. Most recently, the COE awarded more than 40 fellowships to Wes students. Hanah Podol ‘25 is an environmental studies and anthropology major. For her summer project funded by the Bailey COE, she connected with the land through farming and writing.
Hi, lovely coexist blog readers! My name is Lia Franklin and I have been an intern for the Bailey COE for the past two years. I have been so lucky to work with the wonderful Laurie Kenney to write some great blog posts, create content, and help with events. I have been so grateful for the opportunity to get to know the Bailey COE community more; from students to professors to outside speakers. So, now it’s time for you all to get to know me a little better!
I was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, but have always had a love for the outdoors. This dual love, which many think is somewhat contradictory, has driven my interest in climate change and environmental issues.
Here at Wesleyan, I am a second semester senior and a government and environmental studies major. I am currently writing a thesis about environmental constitutionalism using New York State as a case study. Through this project, I have been able to combine my two passions: political science and climate work. After graduation, I hope to continue pursuing this combination and am interested in one day working in environmental public policy. I’m specifically interested in urban policy and the intersection between environmental justice movements, public policy, and environmental law in urban areas.