Environmental Internship Program - 2022 Booklet

2022 SUMMER OF LEARNING 

Environmental 

Internship Program 

1

2022 Summer of Learning 

In summer 2022, 124 Princeton students from 19 academic 

departments worked with University faculty, researchers 

from other scientific enterprises, government agencies, and 

not-for-profit organizations on projects focused on pressing 

environmental challenges. 

Students engaged in research, public outreach, policy 

analysis, communications and other practical assignments 

that contributed meaningfully to research and solutions in 

the areas of biodiversity and conservation, alternative 

energy, climate change, environmental policy, water, 

agriculture, and human health. Several students 

contributed to the development of new technologies, while 

others participated in projects aimed at urban 

sustainability and resilience, global climate policy, and 

environmental justice. 

This booklet provides an overview of student experiences 

during the 2022 environmental internship program. The 

diversity of students’ backgrounds, talents, interests and 

contributions is captured in the descriptions of their 

individual projects. For many, their internship will serve as 

the foundation for continuing research and academic study. 

2

This year marked the resumption of international travel and 

fieldwork assignments that were suspended in recent years 

due to COVID-19. Students eagerly undertook research in 

Madagascar, Kenya, Mozambique, Canada, Alaska, 

California, Colorado, and Louisiana, as well as research sites 

on the Princeton campus and elsewhere in New Jersey, 

among other locations. We applaud our 2022 interns — 

many of who were repeat participants — for the resilience 

they demonstrated over the past two years and their 

commitment to environmental work. 

HMEI’s Environmental Internship Program provides 

opportunities for students to complement their academic 

interests with hands-on work experiences in the summer 

months and is designed to enrich students’ perspectives 

and prepare them as leaders. Many interns benefit from 

strong ties to HMEI’s Grand Challenges Program, an 

integrated research and teaching program designed to 

address critical environmental issues for the 21 st century. 

For more information, please contact us at 

envintern@princeton.edu. 

Front Cover: Jackson Swilley (mentor) and Ashley Cao ’23 

3

Index of Students 

(Alphabetical) 

Jongnam Ahn ’25 83 

Bryan Alfaro ’23 114 

Juan Pablo Alvarado ’23 100 

Ahmad Ateyeh ’25 62 

Farah Azmi ’24 37 

Kojo Baidoo ’24 8 

David Ban ’24 48 

Rio Baran ’25 9 

Delia Batdorff ’23 84 

Riti Bhandarkar ’23 115 

Kalena Blake ’24 74 

Emeline Blohm ’25 85 

Kennedy Boniface ’24 63 

Bryan Boyd ’24 49 

Katherine Brubaker ’24 86 

Helen Brush ’24 10 

Ben Buchovecky ’23 50 

Meera Burghardt ’24 11 

Madeleine Burns ’24 51 

Casey Burton ’24 12 

Camila Cabrera Martinez ’24 101 

Ashley Cao ’23 102 

Jane Castleman ’24 103 

David Chang ’25 75 

Hyaline Chen ’25 64 

Vivian Chen ’25 114 

Laeo Crnkovic-Rubsamen ’24 52 

Sessina Dani ’23 38 

Francesca DiMare ’23 116 

Dominic Dominguez ’25 13 

David Dorini ’25 14 

Christopher Dugan ’23 15 

Katie Farrell ’25 16 

Benjamin Finch ’23 87 

Lillian Fitzgerald ’25 76 

Daria Fontani Herreros ’24 65 

Helena Frudit ’25 116 

Kelly Gallagher ’23 116 

Bailey Glenetske ’25 17 

Jo Goldman ’25 77 

Isabella Gomes ’25 116 

Connie Gong ’25 18 

Max Gonzalez Saez-Diez ’23 104 

Julian Gottfried ’24 19 

Max Gotts ’24 20 

Leila Grant ’24 39 

Kelvin Green ’24 105 

Noa Greenspan ’23 88 

Alliyah Gregory ’25 21 

Alex Heine ’24 22 

Wes Hirschman ’24 23 

Celine Ho ’25 89 

Lena Hoplamazian ’24 90 

Noreen Hosny ’25 24 

Lucy Huelskamp ’24 40 

India Ingemi ’24 41 

4

Ruby Jacobs ’24 53 

Alexandra Jerdee ’25 91 

Eva Jordan ’24 25 

Seyi Jung ’24 66 

Brendan Kehoe ’24 67 

Catherine Keim ’23 26 

Shelby Kinch ’23 54 

Ben Knell ’25 92 

Reese Knopp ’24 106 

Wiley Kohler ’25 55 

Spencer Koonin ’24 42 

Sijbren Kramer ’24 68 

Deniz Kucukerbas ’24 116 

Madeleine Lausted ’24 27 

Kyung Eun Lee ’25 56 

Amélie Lemay ’24 69 

Lucy Levenson ’25 114 

Caleb Lunsford ’23 70 

Heather Louise Madsen ’24 28 

Ethan Magistro ’24 93 

Saumya Malik ’24 43 

Daniela Martinez ’24 29,115 

Aidan Matthews ’24 116 

Evelyn McGonigle ’25 30 

Katherine McLaughlin ’25 31 

Sam Melton ’23 57 

Leena Memon ’25 71 

Alex Moosbrugger ’24 44 

Jahir Morris ’24 32 

Celia Murphy-Braunstein ’25 45 

Tobias Nguyen ’24 33 

Parker O'Neal ’24 115 

Yvette Olivas Biddle ’25 115 

Loren Ormënaj ’23 115 

Ezra Osofsky ’23 107 

Krishna Parikh ’25 94 

Shlok Patel ’25 95 

Akhil Paulraj ’25 108 

Matthew Pickering ’24 78 

Anna Pinkerton ’24 34 

Alec Pirone ’24 79 

Magdalena Poost ’23 96 

Ariana Rausch ’24 115 

Ash Reddy ’25 80 

Kenya Ripley-Dunlap ’24 46 

Arielle Rivera ’23 114 

Isabel Rodrigues ’23 109 

Felicia Sanders ’25 35 

Paige Silverstein ’24 81 

Dave Singh ’24 72 

Riya Singh ’23 97 

Ethan Sontarp ’24 110 

Sophia Stewart ’24 82 

Mariko Storey-Matsutani ’25 111 

Ellen Su ’23 114 

Natalie Swope ’24 112 

Aubrey Taylor ’24 113 

Klara Thiele ’24 115 

Yi Jin Toh ’25 58 

Daniel Trujillo ’23 114 

Chiara Vilna-Santos ’24 98 

Bracklinn Williams ’25 36 

Emily Yang ’25 47 

Brendan Zelikman ’23 59 

Edward Zhang ’24 60 

Jasmine Zhang ’24 61 

Justin Zhang ’24 99,116 

Callie Zheng ’24 73 

5

Student Projects by Category 

BIODIVERSITY AND 

CONSERVATION 

Kojo Baidoo ’24 8 

Rio Baran ’25 9 

Helen Brush ’24 10 

Meera Burghardt ’24 11 

Casey Burton ’24 12 

Dominic Dominguez ’25 13 

David Dorini ’25 14 

Christopher Dugan ’23 15 

Katie Farrell ’25 16 

Bailey Glenetske ’25 17 

Connie Gong ’25 18 

Julian Gottfried ’24 19 

Max Gotts ’24 20 

Alliyah Gregory ’25 21 

Alex Heine ’24 22 

Wes Hirschman ’24 23 

Noreen Hosny ’25 24 

Eva Jordan ’24 25 

Catherine Keim ’23 26 

Madeleine Lausted ’24 27 

Heather Louise Madsen ’24 28 

Daniela Martinez ’24 29,115 

Evelyn McGonigle ’25 30 

Katherine McLaughlin ’25 31 

Jahir Morris ’24 32 

Tobias Nguyen ’24 33 

Anna Pinkerton ’24 34 

Felicia Sanders ’25 35 

Bracklinn Williams ’25 36 

CLIMATE AND ENVIRONMENTAL 

SCIENCE 

Farah Azmi ’24 37 

Sessina Dani ’23 38 

Leila Grant ’24 39 

Lucy Huelskamp ’24 40 

India Ingemi ’24 41 

Spencer Koonin ’24 42 

Saumya Malik ’24 43 

Alex Moosbrugger ’24 44 

Celia Murphy-Braunstein ’25 45 

Kenya Ripley-Dunlap ’24 46 

Emily Yang ’25 47 

EXTREME WEATHER AND 

IMPACTS 

David Ban ’24 48 

Bryan Boyd ’24 49 

Ben Buchovecky ’23 50 

Madeleine Burns ’24 51 

Laeo Crnkovic-Rubsamen ’24 52 

Ruby Jacobs ’24 53 

Shelby Kinch ’23 54 

Wiley Kohler ’25 55 

Kyung Eun Lee ’25 56 

Sam Melton ’23 57 

Yi Jin Toh ’25 58 

Brendan Zelikman ’23 59 

Edward Zhang ’24 60 

Jasmine Zhang ’24 61 

INNOVATION AND A NEW 

ENERGY FUTURE 

Ahmad Ateyeh ’25 62 

Kennedy Boniface ’24 63 

Hyaline Chen ’25 64 

Daria Fontani Herreros ’24 65 

Seyi Jung ’24 66 

Brendan Kehoe ’24 67 

Sijbren Kramer ’24 68 

6

Amélie Lemay ’24 69 

Caleb Lunsford ’23 70 

Leena Memon ’25 71 

Dave Singh ’24 72 

Callie Zheng ’24 73 

SUSTAINABLE FOOD 

SYSTEMS 

Kalena Blake ’24 74 

David Chang ’25 75 

Lillian Fitzgerald ’25 76 

Jo Goldman ’25 77 

Matthew Pickering ’24 78 

Alec Pirone ’24 79 

Ash Reddy ’25 80 

Paige Silverstein ’24 81 

Sophia Stewart ’24 82 

URBAN SUSTAINABILITY 

Jongnam Ahn ’25 83 

Delia Batdorff ’23 84 

Emeline Blohm ’25 85 

Katherine Brubaker ’24 86 

Benjamin Finch ’23 87 

Noa Greenspan ’23 88 

Celine Ho ’25 89 

Lena Hoplamazian ’24 90 

Alexandra Jerdee ’25 91 

Ben Knell ’25 92 

Ethan Magistro ’24 93 

Krishna Parikh ’25 94 

Shlok Patel ’25 95 

Magdalena Poost ’23 96 

Riya Singh ’23 97 

Chiara Vilna-Santos ’24 98 

Justin Zhang ’24 99,116 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

Bryan Alfaro ’23 114 

Juan Pablo Alvarado ’23 100 

Riti Bhandarkar ’23 115 

Camila Cabrera Martinez ’24 101 

Ashley Cao ’23 102 

Jane Castleman ’24 103 

Vivian Chen ’25 114 

Francesca DiMare ’23 116 

Helena Frudit ’25 116 

Kelly Gallagher ’23 116 

Isabella Gomes ’25 116 

Max Gonzalez Saez-Diez ’23 104 

Kelvin Green ’24 105 

Reese Knopp ’24 106 

Deniz Kucukerbas ’24 116 

Lucy Levenson ’25 114 

Aidan Matthews ’24 116 

Parker O'Neal ’24 115 

Yvette Olivas Biddle ’25 115 

Loren Ormënaj ’23 115 

Ezra Osofsky ’23 107 

Akhil Paulraj ’25 108 

Ariana Rausch ’24 115 

Arielle Rivera ’23 114 

Isabel Rodrigues ’23 109 

Ethan Sontarp ’24 110 

Mariko Storey-Matsutani ’25 111 

Ellen Su ’23 114 

Natalie Swope ’24 112 

Aubrey Taylor ’24 113 

Klara Thiele ’24 115 

Daniel Trujillo ’23 114 

7


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

The Role of Multiple 

Interacting Disturbances 

in Dictating Savanna Plant 

Community Composition 

ORGANIZATION(S) 

Pringle Lab, 

Department of Ecology 

and Evolutionary Biology, 

Princeton University 

LOCATION(S) 

Gorongosa National Park, 

Mozambique; Kruger 

National Park, South 

Africa 

MENTOR(S) 

Robert Pringle, 

Professor of Ecology and 

Evolutionary Biology; 

Joel Abraham, Ph.D. 

candidate, Ecology and 

Evolutionary Biology 

Kojo Baidoo ’24 

ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 

African savannas are subject to a variety of 

ecological disturbances, including fire, flood, 

drought, and herbivory. Each of these processes 

structure plant community composition 

differently, yet their interactions are not often 

evaluated together and are difficult to predict. 

Gorongosa National Park is a conservation 

success story, with the amazing recovery of many 

animal species after populations were decimated 

because of the Mozambican Civil War, while 

Kruger National Park is a well-known tourism 

hotspot and is abundant in many archetypal 

savanna species. In Gorongosa, where fire/ 

herbivory and fire/flooding are the prevailing 

interactions, I helped to collect and sieve soil 

samples for nutrient analyses. In Kruger, where 

drought/fire/herbivory are the prevailing 

interactions, I helped to conduct dung counts 

and samples for DNA metabarcoding to evaluate 

herbivore landscape use and diet. This internship 

gave me a view into a career path in ecology and 

academia, the chance to witness and study core 

processes I had previously learned about in the 

classroom, and a new appreciation for aspects of 

the natural world. 

8

PROJECT TITLE 

Teaching Assistant for 

Conservation Clubs 


Rubenstein Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 

Mpala Research Centre, 

Nanyuki, Kenya 

MENTOR(S) 

Daniel Rubenstein, 

Class of 1877 Professor 

of Zoology, Professor of 

Ecology and Evolutionary 

Biology 

Rio Baran ’25 

GEOSCIENCES 

Over eight weeks, I brought conservation 

education to 16 after-school groups around 

Laikipia County, Kenya. Each day, I designed and 

delivered a lesson to answer a different ecological 

question. The lessons took different forms, 

for example using books or games to address 

questions like “How does energy move through 

an ecosystem?” During our travels to and from 

the club sites, I was inspired by elephants, 

baboons, and other wildlife along the way. 

When I wasn’t teaching, I helped organize an 

education fair where each school presented their 

club’s work in the form of displays, dioramas, 

dramas, poems, songs, and dances. Community 

Conservation Day was a success and brought 

together over 1,500 community members. I 

made new friends — colleagues, students, and 

teachers — and learned about a completely new 

environment; the grassland where I lived. I 

learned the importance of flexibility, took in the 

beauty that emerges from the combination of 

science and art, and realized that conservation 

is a community project. As an aspiring scientist 

and conservationist, I commit to grounding 

future research in the lives, needs, lessons, and 

expertise of the people around me. 


CONSERVATION 

9


CONSERVATION 

Helen Brush ’24 


Certificate: Applied and Computational 

Mathematics 

PROJECT TITLE 

Seasonality of Plant 

Interactions in a Changing 

Arctic 


Levine Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 

Toolik Field Station, 

Fairbanks, Alaska 

MENTOR(S) 

Jonathan Levine, 



Ruby An, Ph.D. candidate, 


Biology 

I worked at Toolik Field Station in the Alaskan 

arctic to investigate how tundra plants use the 

growing season. This project is important both 

as a tool for better understanding plant ecology 

and in the context of the rapidly changing arctic 

climate. As growing seasons change, tundra 

plants may change how they use available time, 

potentially changing community interactions 

and composition, and this may in turn have 

important implications for global carbon cycling. 

I made frequent phenological measurements 

(i.e., measurements of different stages of a plant’s 

lifecycle) of 180 individually tagged plants from 

six common species. These data create a picture 

of when different plant species are active. I 

helped with preliminary data processing and 

used longer term datasets to explore weather 

patterns at Toolik. A better understanding of 

the seasonality of tundra plants will require 

integrating weather and ecological data. In 

addition to the work, I thoroughly enjoyed 

walking through the tundra with other members 

of the Toolik community and speculating about 

ecological and biological questions. I plan to 

carry the curiosity that I exercised this summer 

into the rest of my education and work, and I 

hope to pursue further research through both 

fieldwork and theoretical modeling projects. I 

am grateful to have had the privelege to spend 

my summer in awe inspiring wilderness with 

wonderful people. 

10

Meera Burghardt ’24 

SCHOOL OF PUBLIC AND INTERNATIONAL 

AFFAIRS 


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Investigating Water Use by 

Farmers in Laikipia 

County, Kenya 






LOCATION(S) 



MENTOR(S) 





Biology 

I analyzed water use and water-related conflicts 

by farmers in Laikipia County, Kenya. Laikipia 

County has been in a severe drought, which has 

left many households and farmers without water 

during the dry season as well as during some 

of the wet season. Farming is one of the most 

common lifestyles in Kenya and this practice 

further exacerbates the drought because of how 

much water farmers use to irrigate their crops. 

The project aimed to find a solution to this 

problem that would ensure that farmers use less 

water while still maintaining crop quality. The 

majority of farmers use flood irrigation which 

uses a lot of water. Drip irrigation, the proposed 

solution, was expected to use significantly less 

water. We studied farms that used drip and flood 

irrigation and compared their crop yield, water 

usage, and water-related conflicts. We found that 

drip irrigation uses significantly less water than 

flood irrigation, and that this was associated with 

fewer water-related conflicts for farmers. 

11


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Developing Metrics for 

Community-scale 

Biodiversity Restoration 

and Management 


Friends of Princeton Open 

Spaces (FOPOS) 

LOCATION(S) 

Princeton, New Jersey 

MENTOR(S) 

Anna Corichi, Director, 

Natural Resources and 

Stewardship, FOPOS; 

Andy Dobson, Professor 

of Ecology and 

Evolutionary Biology, 

Princeton University; 

Annarie Lyles, Trustee, 

FOPOS 

Casey Burton ’24 


I interned as a land steward for Friends of 

Princeton Open Spaces (FOPOS). My co-interns 

and I worked to increase pollinator habitats and 

remove invasive plant species. We also collected 

data that FOPOS needs to apply for the Natural 

Climate Solutions Grant, which would be used 

to work on restoring a part of the park called 

Community Park North. For my own research, 

I laid the groundwork for future studies on how 

turtle and insect biodiversity are changing at 

the Princeton Mountain Lakes Nature Reserve 

following significant invasive species removal. I 

collected trial data and tested various methods of 

data retrieval so that this data could be compared 

to past and future studies pertaining to species 

abundance and diversity in comparison to the 

health of the restoration site. I also planned 

multiple public engagement events including an 

“iNaturalist BioBlitz Insect” event, a nighttime 

moth-sighting event, and I created routes for 

future turtle sighting events that will include the 

public. 

12

PROJECT TITLE 

Climate Change and 

Hummingbird Sensory 

Ecology in the Rocky 

Mountains 


Stoddard Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 

Rocky Mountain 

Biological Laboratory, 

Gothic, Colorado 

MENTOR(S) 

Mary Caswell Stoddard, 

Associate Professor of 


Biology 

Dominic Dominguez ’25 


I studied the interaction between wildflower 

blooming cycles and broad-tailed hummingbird 

foraging behavior at the Rocky Mountain 

Biological Laboratory (RMBL). Most of my work 

consisted of placing time-lapse cameras on 

hummingbird-pollinated flowers in different 

field sites to capture hummingbird visitation 

rates. Over the years, this camera footage 

will provide a picture of how broad-tailed 

hummingbird foraging behavior adjusts to the 

changing phenology (the timing of biological 

events) of wildflower blooming cycles. My team 

also counted the number of flowers at different 

transects on a weekly basis. This data will 

illuminate the shifts in peak blooming times 

and quantity of flower species as climate change 

continues to affect this ecosystem. All of this 

work is combined with spectrophotometry 

data collected on flower species, including 

species that are pollinated and not pollinated 

by hummingbirds, to create a model of the 

hummingbird visual landscape and connect 

foraging preferences with the reflection of 

flowers. This experience has taught me how to 

manage a multitude of tasks and devise plans 

to get work done efficiently within a team. It 

has also cemented my love for the outdoors and 

interest in conducting field work, especially 

focused on animal behavior. 


CONSERVATION 

* This internship is connected to the HMEI Climate 

and Energy Grand Challenges project, “Investigating 

the Effects of Climate Change on Hummingbird 

Sensory Landscapes.” 

13


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Phenology of Bird 

Migration: The Brownwave 

Hypothesis 


Wilcove Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

David Wilcove, 


Evolutionary Biology and 

Public Affairs and the 

High Meadows 

Environmental Institute; 

Fengyi Guo, Ph.D. 



David Dorini ’25 


The brown-wave hypothesis predicts that 

fall bird migration across the Eastern United 

States follows the timing of defoliation and 

subsequent depletion of available food resources. 

Defoliation patterns are impacted by climate 

change, so studying nocturnal bird migration 

over multiple decades allows us to analyze 

the long-term impacts of climate change. I 

screened nightly fall radar data from dozens 

of sites across the Eastern United States from 

1995-2014 to enable the testing of the brownwave 

hypothesis and its interactions with 

climate change. For each available night, I 

first screened the data to determine whether 

there was sufficient uncontaminated landbird 

migration to use, as many nights were too 

contaminated for further analysis. I learned to 

use various radar data analysis tools to identify 

these different contaminations, including 

reflectivity measurements, correlation coefficient 

measurements, and the direction and speed of 

different biological movements. If I identified 

a night as having sufficient uncontaminated 

landbird migration, I noted the approximate 

time of that night’s migratory bird takeoff. 

These nights will be analyzed further in the 

coming months. I learned a great deal about 

radar science and modern research in ecology, 

and I look forward to following the Wilcove Lab’s 

further inquiry into this subject. 

14

Christopher Dugan ’23 

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING 

Certificate: Materials Science and Engineering 


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Reserve and Forest 

Stewardship at The 

Watershed Institute 


The Watershed Institute 

LOCATION(S) 

Pennington, New Jersey 

MENTOR(S) 

Allison Jackson, 

Stewardship Coordinator, 

The Watershed Institute; 

Erin Stretz, Assistant 

Director of Science and 

Stewardship, The 


I worked to improve biodiversity and ecological 

sustainability at The Watershed Institute while 

also furthering community involvement and 

education. I helped remove invasive plants 

and planted native plants that are resistant to 

invasive insects. I also worked with volunteers 

from a variety of local companies, and taught 

school-aged children about our work and its 

importance at The Watershed Nature Camp. 

I learned about a wide variety of native and 

introduced plants: how to identify them, 

their roles in and effects on the ecosystem, 

and how they can be properly managed to 

support native animals. I also had the chance 

to experience and observe the intricacies of 

working in forest management, for example 

how new developments and approaches are 

communicated, and how disagreements in the 

field are discussed and resolved. I now plan to 

take a course in forest ecology this spring and to 

apply to jobs in the field of forest management. 

I enjoyed working on the reserve even with the 

heat of the summer and would be happy doing 

more work like this in the future. 

15


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

The Carolina Wren in 



Riehl Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Christina Riehl, Associate 


Evolutionary Biology; Trey 

Hendrix, Ph.D. candidate, 


Biology 

Katie Farrell ’25 

UNDECLARED 

I investigated the evolved traits of the Carolina 

wren, a songbird native to New Jersey that 

exhibits several unique social behaviors more 

commonly found in the tropics: monogamous 

mating with long-term mating pairs; duetting 

(joint participation in song); and collaborative, 

year-round territory defense. An understanding 

of these climate-atypical behaviors and their 

evolution is critical as the range of the Carolina 

wren continues to expand northwards, and as 

the climate continues to change. As part of this 

study, I tracked the locations and mating habits 

of several birds of interest, noting especially 

their chosen nesting sites, their current number 

of fledglings, and their mating partner. I helped 

apply color bands to birds, and obtained blood 

samples from both adults and nestlings. I also 

photographed specific individuals, which aided 

identification of individual birds by way of their 

bands and the presence of radio transmitters 

on their backs. Working with living subjects 

was challenging at first but was ultimately an 

extremely rewarding experience. I learned 

a number of technical fieldwork skills, and I 

gained a much more intimate understanding of 

Princeton’s local ecosystems and the world of 

evolutionary biology research. 

16

Bailey Glenetske ’25 

GEOSCIENCES 

Certificates: Environmental Studies, Journalism 


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 








LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 









FOPOS 

I worked closely with community members to 

develop strategies for protecting the biodiversity 

and accessibility of parks in the Princeton- 

Montgomery Township area. My responsibilities 

included assessing areas of the Billy Johnson 

Mountain Lakes Nature Preserve for biodiversity 

and performing restoration work, such as 

removing invasive species and planting natives. I 

also had the opportunity to work closely with the 

staff and board members of Friends of Princeton 

Open Spaces (FOPOS). My research specialization 

for the internship was geographic information 

system (GIS) mapping. I collected GPS data 

from various areas of the park in order to create 

custom, geo-referenced maps for ongoing use 

by FOPOS. I used a Garmin GPS device to collect 

the updated data and then cross-checked it 

with the existing data using geo-referenced 

maps through the Avenza Maps app on my 

iPhone. Then, I transferred the GPS data onto 

my computer, where I used the software Garmin 

BaseCamp and ArcGIS Pro to design and export 

the maps for use. With my new mapping skills 

and experiences, I am excited to research the 

expanding applications of GIS mapping in the 

fields of climate science and its intersection with 

biodiversity conservation. 

17


CONSERVATION 

Connie Gong ’25 

ANTHROPOLOGY 

Certificates: African Studies, Environmental 

Studies 

PROJECT TITLE 

Teaching Assistant for 

Conservation Clubs 






LOCATION(S) 



MENTOR(S) 





Biology 

The Northern Kenya Conservation Clubs (NKCC) 

use experiential learning to foster awareness of 

environmental problems, and empower students 

to lead community conservation projects. As 

an intern for the NKCC, I worked as a teacher, 

community organizer, and graphic designer. I 

developed and facilitated lessons that taught 

local students about basic ecological concepts 

and conservation issues through games and 

art making. I also worked with fellow interns 

to organize Community Conservation Day, a 

showcase of the club’s accomplishments achieved 

over the past year. Community Conservation 

Day brings together students, teachers, and 

community members from across Laikipia. 

Working with the NKCC exposed me to a wealth 

of ecological knowledge. I was humbled by and 

fascinated with the origins of this knowledge 

and the stories that accompany it. For my senior 

thesis work, I am interested in returning to Kenya 

to write an ethnography about such stories and 

how they interact with Laikipian communities’ 

perceptions of climate change. My experiences 

have also inspired me to pursue a certificate in 

African Studies. 

18

Julian Gottfried ’24 


Certificate: Applications of Computing 


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Health and Conservation 

at the Human-Domestic 

Animal-Wildlife Interface 

in Madagascar 


Metcalf Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 

Antananarivo, Madagascar; 

Betampona Natural 

Reserve, Madagascar 

MENTOR(S) 

C. Jessica Metcalf, 



Biology and Public Affairs; 

Fidisoa Rasambainarivo, 

Postdoctoral Research 

Associate, High Meadows 


Benjamin Rice, Associate 

Research Scholar, High 

Meadows Environmental 

Institute 

I studied the spread of an introduced parasite, 

Toxoplasma gondii, among endemic animals 

to Madagascar. Village encroachment on the 

jungle is changing the dynamics of disease by 

mediating interactions between native wildlife 

and domestic and invasive species. The disease, 

toxoplasmosis, has as yet unknown health 

implications for endemic Madagascan animals, 

but it presents a major human health risk. This 

project sought to more fully understand the 

spread and impact of toxoplasmosis. As a field 

and lab tech, I checked traps, maintained camera 

traps, collected biological samples, tracked 

animals, and collected parasite samples. I also 

extracted DNA from blood, tissue, and soil 

samples, and prepared samples for polymerase 

chain reaction analysis. Additionally, I assisted 

in the development of a mathematical model of 

toxoplasmosis transmission. I gained practical 

skills in field work and knowledge of how to 

navigate field conditions. I now have a better 

understanding of how to design research 

projects. The interdisciplinary nature of this 

project was by far the most rewarding aspect. I 

look forward to exploring the complicated world 

of disease ecology further and using the skills 

I’ve gained in future field projects. 

* This internship is connected to the HMEI 

Biodiversity Grand Challenges project, “Biodiversity 

Conservation and Health at the Human-Domestic 

Animal-Wildlife Interface in Madagascar.” 

19


CONSERVATION 

Max Gotts ’24 



Mathematics 

PROJECT TITLE 

River Crossings and 

Wildlife Connectivity in the 

Laikipia Plateau 


Mpala Research Centre 

LOCATION(S) 



MENTOR(S) 

Kimani Ndung’u, 

Researcher and Field 

Instructor, Mpala 

Research Centre; 

Dino Martins, Chief 

Executive Officer, 

Turkana Basin Institute; 





Biology, Princeton 

University 

I investigated the role of rivers in impeding 

megafauna traffic along wildlife corridors 

to understand the potential impacts of the 

proposed Crocodile Jaws Dam in Laikipia 

County, Kenya on wildlife migrations and 

ambulation. Wildlife corridors allow animals 

to move between protected land based on 

seasonal patterns, weather variation, and prey 

abundance. The Crocodile Jaws Dam will back 

up to the Ewaso Ngiro River to create a large lake; 

since animals cannot comfortably cross lakes, 

this construction may pose major problems for 

animals that presently cross the river. We used a 

mixture of fieldwork and modeling to investigate 

this problem. We collected field data on wildlife 

usage of key river crossings using animal tracks, 

and determined whether individuals crossed or 

not. We also collected data on environmental 

variables such as river speed and depth, physical 

geography of the surrounding area, grass cover, 

and substrate type. Then, we used these variables 

to create a model to determine whether or not 

Crocodile Jaws Dam will limit animals from 

moving across Laikipia’s landscape. Performing 

this research provided me the opportunity to 

contribute to a scientific project, to enjoy Kenya’s 

incredible savanna ecosystems, and to work 

with knowledgable colleagues to protect key 

megafauna in a changing world. 

20

Alliyah Gregory ’25 


Certificate: Environmental Studies 


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Plant Conservation in the 

Natural Areas of New York 

City Parks 


Natural Resources Group, 

New York City Department 

of Parks and Recreation 

(NYC Parks) 

LOCATION(S) 

New York City, New York 

MENTOR(S) 

Clara Holmes, Plant 

Ecologist, NYC Parks; 

Desiree Yanes, Vegetation 

Monitoring Technic, NYC 

Parks 

I developed conservation assessments for two 

plant species of local conservation concern in 

New York City: Amelanchier nantucketensis 

(Nantucket juneberry) and Sanguisorba 

canadensis (Canadian burnet). To produce 

these conservation assessments, I researched 

basic information on their biology, habitat, 

and ecology, in addition to specific threats that 

these species face within New York City. I also 

researched methods that could be implemented 

to help save them. Conservation assessments are 

important because they provide a comprehensive 

resource for conservationists with all of the 

information they need to execute conservation 

measures. I also participated in fieldwork to 

monitor rare, threatened, and endangered 

species within the natural areas of New York City 

parks. This was insightful for me because I had 

no prior knowledge of conservation efforts in 

urban areas. I learned about the wide variety of 

ecosystems that exist in these areas, from forests, 

to beaches, to salt marshes. My time with NYC 

Parks cemented my interest in conservation and 

introduced me to fieldwork. I am now hoping to 

include these aspects in my future career. 

21


CONSERVATION 

Alex Heine ’24 


Certificates: Archaeology, Environmental Studies 

PROJECT TITLE 




in Madagascar 


Metcalf Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 




MENTOR(S) 












Institute 

I studied the impact of Toxoplasma gondii, an 

introduced parasite, on small carnivores in 

Madagascar. I used field and laboratory methods 

to investigate how the parasite is transmitted 

between domestic and endemic species and 

then used these results to produce a model of 

disease transmission. I set up and checked traps 

for rodents and small carnivores, and tracked 

captured animals after release. I also assisted 

another team that was studying mosquitos at 

the field site. I worked in the laboratory to isolate 

DNA from samples collected in the field and 

then identified whether they were positive for 

the parasite. I gained valuable field and lab skills 

through this project, including radio telemetry 

and how to process samples in the field. I was also 

able to work in a laboratory setting for the first 

time. This research was fascinating, especially 

looking at the intersection of a parasite between 

humans, domestic, and endemic species. It has 

reinforced my desire to perform field research in 

the future, and also opened up the possibility of 

pursuing disease ecology in animals as a future 

career. 





22

Wes Hirschman ’24 

OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND FINANCIAL 

ENGINEERING 

Certificates: Finance, Optimization and 

Quantitative Decision Science 


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Impact of Grazing Regimes 

on Rangeland Quality and 

Wildlife and Livestock Use 






LOCATION(S) 



MENTOR(S) 





Biology 

I interned at the Mpala Research Centre as part 

of Princeton’s multiyear Zebra Project. Our 

work was primarily focused on understanding 

the impacts that grazing cattle herds have on 

zebra populations. We are seeking to understand 

whether the relationship between cattle and 

zebras is competitive or mutualistic. To answer 

this, we collected large amounts of data on zebra 

behavior (by mapping their locations every day 

and creating heatmaps of their distribution 

across the landscape), cattle patterns (with 

GPS tracking tags placed on each cattle herd), 

and vegetation data (via vegetation transects 

and satellite imaging). This internship gave me 

the opportunity to learn much more about the 

environment, environmental research, animal 

behavior, and human-animal interactions. I 

now have a better understanding of how data 

science and research is conducted in a real-world 

environment, the many added challenges that 

come with such an environment, and I have a 

much greater appreciation for the important role 

the environment plays in our everyday lives. This 

opportunity has shown me the value of applying 

my Princeton education beyond topics strictly 

within my field of study, and I intend to continue 

to diversify my work experiences. 

23


CONSERVATION 

Noreen Hosny ’25 

MOLECULAR BIOLOGY 

Certificates: Environmental Studies, Visual Arts 

PROJECT TITLE 

Analysis of Climate-driven 

Body-size Changes in the 

Marine Fossil Record 


Deutsch Research 

Group, Department of 

Geosciences, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Curtis Deutsch, 

Professor of Geosciences 

and the High Meadows 

Environmental Institute 

As ocean temperatures rise, dissolved oxygen 

decreases. Yet, marine life requires more oxygen 

in warmer environments. This inconsistency 

may shape organisms’ adpatations by causing 

them to mature at smaller body sizes. I sought 

to quantify and understand how climate-driven 

changes to temperature and oxygen affect the 

body size of benthic (bottom-dwelling) and 

planktonic (surface-dwelling) foraminifera 

(single-celled zooplankton). I used temperature 

and body size data collected from previous 

literature to calculate and visualize the 

temperature size effect (TSE) in the program 

MATLAB for various foraminifera species. We 

observed very large TSE values and concluded 

that temperature alone cannot justify these 

body size changes. I next investigated how the 

species’ metabolic index (MI) is affected by 

these changes, since MI accounts for oxygen 

and temperature simultaneously. I created a 

trait database documenting the body mass 

changes and respiration rates and then analyzed 

these variables in MATLAB to find that oxygen 

limitation plays a primary role in body size 

variation. I learned about the pressing effect 

of climate change on marine biodiversity, 

which informed my decision to pursue an 

Environmental Studies certificate. I hope to take 

environmental science and policy classes to 

further inform my climate science research. 

24

PROJECT TITLE 




in Madagascar 


Metcalf Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 




MENTOR(S) 












Institute 

Eva Jordan ’24 

CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING 

I studied the dynamics of Toxoplasma gondii 

infection in Betampona Natural Reserve, 

Madagascar. Toxoplasma gondii is an introduced 

parasite to the island that also causes disease 

in humans. Our goal was to construct a model 

describing transmission at the interface 

between domestic animals and wildlife in order 

to determine the most effective conservation 

strategies for biodiversity in areas of the world 

affected by toxoplasmosis. Our field work 

involved trapping endemic carnivores such as 

fossa, ring-tailed vontsira, and broad-striped 

vontsira, as well as endemic and invasive 

rodents, and collecting biological specimens 

from these animals to be analyzed for the 

parasite. We also collected mosquito and leech 

specimens from both the forest and the research 

station to better understand how these disease 

vectors are distributed and how they affect 

disease transmission. Through this internship, 

I gained a clearer understanding of how 

conservation, health studies, and engineering 

can fit together to form a truly important project, 

and I came away better able to think about 

designing research questions for independent 

work or a thesis. 






CONSERVATION 

25


CONSERVATION 

Catherine Keim ’23 


Certificate: Statistics and Machine Learning 

PROJECT TITLE 

Assessing the Impact of 

Large Carnivore 

Reintroduction on 

Community Structure and 

Functioning in a 

Recovering African 

Savanna 


Pringle Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 

Gorongosa National Park, 

Mozambique 

MENTOR(S) 

Robert Pringle, 



Erin Philips, Ph.D. 



I studied the ecology of mesocarnivores in 

Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique. 

Mesocarnivores are midsized carnivores; in 

Mozambique they include species such as 

civets, genets, and mongooses. These mammals 

are abundant in Gorongosa but are relatively 

understudied and my work contributed to our 

knowledge of mesocarnivore diet and behavior in 

savanna ecosystems. Gorongosa is an especially 

good location in which to conduct this research, 

because the larger predator populations (lions, 

leopards, etc.,) were almost entirely destroyed 

during the Mozambican Civil War (1977-1992). 

This absence of large carnivores allows us to 

study mesocarnivore behavior without the 

potential competition from larger predators. 

Additionally, mesocarnivore behavior can be 

studied continuously over time as conservation 

and reintroduction efforts reintroduce top 

predators to the park. We collected civet, genet, 

and mongoose fecal samples for diet analysis and 

comparison. We also used camera traps, which 

take pictures or videos when a sensor detects 

motion, to study mesocarnivore behavior and 

movement across the park. The main experiment 

we did was a carcass study, where we observed 

scavenging behavior and nutrient distribution 

at sites of dead animals. Overall, I learned new 

field research techniques and had the privilege of 

working in a beautiful and dynamic ecosystem. 

26

Madeleine Lausted ’24 


Certificates: French Language and Culture, Global 

Health and Health Policy 


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 




in Madagascar 


Metcalf Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 




MENTOR(S) 












Institute 

Toxoplasma gondii is a zoonotic parasite that 

relies on felid hosts for sexual reproduction 

but has been highly effective at infecting a 

wide range of warm-blooded hosts across the 

world. The parasite can be acquired through 

environmental contact or consuming infected 

meat. Research indicates that T. gondii arrived 

more recently to Madagascar, and that endemic 

species are increasingly coming into contact 

with T. gondii through intermediate hosts such 

as black rats and domestic chickens. I assisted 

the Metcalf Lab in characterizing the spread 

of T. gondii in Madagascar. My co-interns 

and I took biological samples from a range 

of endemic carnivores and invasive species. 

This included hands-on work to safely trap the 

subjects, take samples, and release them. We 

also set and monitored camera traps to gather 

behavioral data. We extracted DNA from the 

samples and completed other processing in a 

molecular laboratory. We were able to estimate 

the prevalence of T. gondii among endemic 

and invasive species, which provides a strong 

foundation for the continuation of the project 

in future years. We hope these results will give 

valuable insights to conservation and public 

health efforts. 





27


CONSERVATION 

Heather Madsen ’24 

GEOSCIENCES 

Certificate: Archaeology 

PROJECT TITLE 

Hydroponic Investigation 

of Isotopic Fractionation 

in Arabidopsis 


Higgins Lab, Department 

of Geosciences, 


LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

John Higgins, Associate 

Professor of Geosciences; 

Mason Scher, Ph.D. 

candidate, Geosciences 

I aimed to determine the role of nutrient 

availability in the selective incorporation of 

nutrient isotopes into the corpus of Arabidopsis 

plants. Metal fractionation is a trophic trend that 

allows researchers to use isotopic composition to 

place different species in their respective niches 

within ecological systems past and present. 

This provides an advanced understanding of 

ecological interconnectivity that deepens our 

understanding of past trophic relationships, 

underscoring the evolution of specific niches 

over time. This has not only profound geological 

implications but also offers insight into 

conservation potential. Trophic cascades are one 

of the major side effects of resource depletion, 

and the identification of these cascades would be 

aided by advancements in scientific research on 

isotopic fractionation up the trophic pyramid. 

The trends observed in the Arabidopsis I grew 

will ultimately provide a baseline of autotrophic 

fractionation to demonstrate the significance of 

the selective physiological uptake of calcium, 

magnesium, and potassium isotopes. My initial 

research functioned to isolate and address 

unforeseen issues to streamline future growth, 

but repetition of this experimental model will 

undoubtedly be required to provide optimal 

results. I plan to continue this research for 

independent work this fall. 

28

PROJECT TITLE 

Reserve and Forest 

Stewardship 



LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Allison Jackson, 

Stewardship Coordinator, 

The Watershed Institute; 





Daniela Martinez ’24 


The Watershed Institute consists of 

approximately 950 acres of preserved land 

in Mercer County, New Jersey. I aided the 

stewardship and conservation team in restoring 

forest health through nonnative invasive species 

removal and repopulating these areas with native 

plants. I learned about two different management 

strategies that reduce damage from deer activity. 

We removed nonnative invasive species and 

repopulated native plants inside two established 

deer enclosures — fenced-off areas that keep deer 

out — and we installed tree tubes to protect new 

plantings outside of the deer enclosures. Another 

of our restoration efforts involved removing dead 

ash trees impacted by the emerald ash borer, an 

invasive species of beetle. In wetland habitats, 

I helped create a floating wetland, which is an 

artificial platform that floats on the lake’s surface 

to support native aquatic plant growth. I also 

helped manage existing floating wetlands by 

removing invasive species and replanting native 

species. Through woodworking, I created bird 

boxes to create habitats for eastern bluebirds 

and red headed woodpeckers. Overall, I gained 

insight and experience in various habitat 

restoration and forest management strategies, 

and learned how these strategies change based 

on the final goal. 


CONSERVATION 

29


CONSERVATION 

Evelyn McGonigle ’25 


ENGINEERING 

PROJECT TITLE 

Analysis of Climate-driven 

Body Size Changes in the 

Marine Fossil Record 





University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





I worked on a project that aims to determine the 

driving environmental components behind the 

temperature size effect, the negative correlation 

between temperature and animal body size. My 

specific role was to collect and analyze data on 

ostracods, which are tiny marine crustaceans 

that have existed for millions of years. At the 

start of the internship, I focused on learning 

how to use the program MATLAB to compare 

the modern laboratory model correlating 

ostracod body size with temperature to the same 

relationship within the fossil record. My analysis 

showed that changes in paleo-ostracod body size 

were more significant than could be accounted 

for by the modern model. I spent the second half 

of the internship analyzing ostracod metabolism. 

This involved a lot of literature review to find 

metabolic parameters in published studies, and 

helped determine the missing factor behind 

these body size changes. Before this summer, I 

had never been involved in research, and I am 

looking forward to applying my newfound data 

analysis skills in both my studies and my future 

career. 

30

PROJECT TITLE 








LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 









FOPOS 

Katherine McLaughlin ’25 

UNDECLARED 

I studied the survival rates of native flora species 

in Princeton, New Jersey. This research furthered 

the efforts of Friends of Princeton Open Spaces 

(FOPOS) to create a local healthy and biodiverse 

ecosystem. My co-intern and I developed a 

protocol for determining the survival of planted 

native species. We considered factors such as 

method of planting, canopy cover, environmental 

pressures, and other species present. Cataloging 

the species in this way allowed us to gauge the 

site’s ecological health in a Floristic Quality 

Assessment. This research and protocol will 

enable FOPOS, and other such organizations 

to achieve greater success in restoring healthy 

forest ecosystems. I also acted as a land steward 

by removing invasive species, planting native 

flowers, and coordinating volunteer sessions. 

Additionally, I assisted with turtle and insect 

surveys and a carbon storage survey. I learned 

much about how field research considers the 

broad workings of a forest site and how to include 

many elements while still developing useful 

data. This internship further illuminated the 

important intersection between community 

engagement, local protected spaces, and greater 

biodiversity on a larger scale. I look forward to 

continuing to research forest stewardship. 


CONSERVATION 

31


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Evolution and Species 

Diversity Maintenance of 

Orchard Flies 


Levine Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Jonathan Levine, 



Jahir Morris ’24 


I studied North American fruit flies and 

the extent to which the rapid evolution 

of competitive ability can facilitate their 

coexistence. Ecological theory supports the 

prediction that rapid evolutionary changes 

amongst populations of competing species will 

stabilize their competitive interactions, thus 

allowing for their coexistence. However, there 

have been a limited number of studies that 

systematically test this conclusion to prove 

its prevalence in natural systems. The three 

focal species of our research were Drosophila 

melanogaster, Drosophila hydei, and Zaprionus 

indianus. Our first experiment assessed the 

potential for the evolution of competitive ability 

to impact coexistence. We placed fly populations 

with varied adaptive potentials in competition 

with one another over several generations. The 

second experiment measured the mechanism by 

which evolution affects competitive interactions 

by placing a single pair of species in competition 

over several generations, but with populations 

of varied relative abundance. We also routinely 

captured and identified samples of flies from a 

local orchard to examine how the evolution of 

competitive ability impacts coexistence amongst 

more diverse fly communities in nature. I’ve 

gained invaluable experience in designing 

experimental research and an understanding 

of how ecological processes and evolutionary 

mechanisms cofunction to sustain diverse 

communities of organisms. 

32 


Biodiversity Grand Challenges project, “The 

Maintenance of Species Diversity through the Rapid 

Evolution of Competitive Ability.”

PROJECT TITLE 

Climate Change and 

Hummingbird Sensory 

Ecology in the Rocky 

Mountains 


Stoddard Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 




MENTOR(S) 

Mary Caswell Stoddard, 



Biology 

Tobias Nguyen ’24 


I helped collect data for a long-term study on 

the phenology of broad-tailed hummingbirds 

and the wildflowers they pollinate. The aim of 

this project is to observe the shifting visitation 

rates for various flower species as climate 

change progresses. To that end, our team 

placed camera traps on wildflowers of interest 

to record feeding events; this data will be 

processed throughout the coming year. We also 

collected flower specimens to create a database 

of their anatomy and exact color values using a 

spectrophotometer. Lastly, we conducted weekly 

wildflower surveys using transects to determine 

the changing abundance of each species of 

interest. This was my first look into real-world 

research and fieldwork. I gained experience not 

only with the equipment and methods used by 

the lab group but also with the nature of research 

and professional collaboration. I worked as part 

of a team that, for the first time in this study, 

fully undertook the tasks of spectrophotometry 

and transect data collection. In all, this was an 

exciting look into the world of fieldwork and 

ecological research, and I am left feeling more 

confident about what a future in ecology may 

look like. 


CONSERVATION 

* This internship is connected to the HMEI Climate 

and Energy Grand Challenges project, “Investigating 

the Effects of Climate Change on Hummingbird 

Sensory Landscapes.” 

33


CONSERVATION 

Anna Pinkerton ’24 

GEOSCIENCES 

Certificates: Environmental Studies, French 

Language and Culture 

PROJECT TITLE 

Seed Preferences, 

Predation, and Dispersal 

in Kenya by Messor 

Harvester Ants 



LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Dino Martins, Chief 

Executive Officer, Turkana 

Basin Institute; Ivy Ng’iru, 

Project Manager and 

Scientific Researcher, 


I worked with the Harvester Ant Project to 

examine the nest location and diet of the 

harvester ant Messor cephalotes. Our primary 

objectives were to determine whether Messor 

cephalotes show any preference for nest 

building in the three known soil types at Mpala 

Research Centre, to assess whether there is 

any relationship between nest longevity and 

soil type, and to observe the diet constituent 

of Messor cephalotes as a function of food 

availability. I collected GPS data of dozens of 

nests across Mpala’s diverse landscape, took 

measurements of the physical characteristics of 

the nests, and observed the collection behaviors 

of the ants. Through this experience, I have 

gained valuable insight into fieldwork and 

research. I learned how to collect, organize, and 

subsequently analyze data, as well as make maps 

using GPS coordinates. My time working on the 

Harvester Ant Project has taught me how to 

conduct fieldwork, which will be relevant to my 

geosciences concentration, as well as any future 

work in environmental science. 

34

PROJECT TITLE 








LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 









FOPOS 

Felicia Sanders ’25 

UNDECLARED 

I collaborated with Friends of Princeton Open 

Spaces (FOPOS), which oversees land stewardship 

projects at the Billy Johnson Mountain Lakes 

Nature Preserve. This work includes the 

removal of invasive plants and the planting of 

native plants to help restore biodiversity and 

ecosystem health to a heavily degraded area. 

Because FOPOS’ work is supported by donations 

and grants, it is critical to understand which 

management techniques are most successful 

so that resources can be used effectively. I 

conducted surveys throughout the preserve’s 

18-acre forest restoration site to monitor and 

compare restoration outcomes. I divided the 

site into four regions based on how they had 

been managed, and then studied randomly 

selected meter by meter plots within each 

region by analyzing the plants present and 

their respective concentrations. I then used the 

identities and proportions of plants present to 

complete Floristic Quality Assessments (FQA) 

for each plot and region. These assessments 

can be used to determine how important it is 

to manage the land, as regions with high FQA 

scores contribute more to ecosystem health. 

This internship inspired me to investigate the 

intersection of academic research and service, 

and I hope to focus my future independent work 

on community-based needs. 


CONSERVATION 

35


CONSERVATION 

PROJECT TITLE 

Predicting Energy 

Expenditure of Migratory 

Land Birds at Stopover 

Sites 


Wilcove Lab, 




LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

David Wilcove, 


Evolutionary Biology and 

Public Affairs and the 

High Meadows 


Liang Ma, Associate 

Research Scholar, School 

of Public and 

International Affairs 

Bracklinn Williams ’25 

MATHEMATICS 

I studied how changes in North American 

bird populations correlate with different 

species’ physiological responses to climate. 

This correlation can be used to estimate what 

proportion of population decline in these species 

can be directly attributed to heat stress from 

climate change, how much is due to indirect 

effects of climate change, and how much is 

attributable to non-climate factors. The main 

focus of my work was in model validation, 

which involved gathering data, running 

model code, and plotting the results for our 

habitat microclimate model and our species 

metabolism model so that we can be confident 

they are both reasonably accurate. In addition, 

I ran regressions and visualized data to better 

understand and communicate our intermediate 

results. As well as gaining experience in 

modeling and in using the program R, I learned 

a lot from the more creative side of the research. 

I also enjoyed combining my interests in 

conservation and the environment with my skills 

in data science. It was an enjoyable introduction 

to academic research, and I would love to do 

similar work in the future. 

36

Farah Azmi ’24 

GEOSCIENCES 

PROJECT TITLE 

Observing Ocean 

Ecosystems From 

Autonomous Floats 


Scripps Institution of 

Oceanography, University 

of California–San Diego 

LOCATION(S) 

La Jolla, California 

MENTOR(S) 

Sarah Gille, Professor, 

Scripps Institution of 

Oceanography; Mara 

Freilich, Postdoctoral 

Fellow, Scripps Institution 

of Oceanography 

I studied phytoplankton community composition 

in the Indian sector of the Southern Ocean. I 

studied differences in community composition 

between the northern and southern regions of 

the polar front by using the program MATLAB 

to analyze biogeochemical float data. There has 

been some previous work done on phytoplankton 

growth from a physical perspective, and on 

phytoplankton community composition from a 

biological perspective, but there has not been a 

lot of work done to connect the two pespectives. 

My project helped to bridge the gap between 

physical and biological processes and identified 

an area that should be further explored. 

Understanding the differences in community 

composition between these regions helps us to 

improve phytoplankton growth models, which 

subsequently helps us to better understand the 

global carbon cycle. My coding and research 

skills drastically improved throughout the 

eight weeks that I worked on this project. I also 

had the opportunity to meet many wonderful 

scientists at Scripps who inspired and motivated 

me to continue doing work in oceanography and 

climate science. 

CLIMATE AND 

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE 

37

Sessina Dani ’23 


CLIMATE AND 


PROJECT TITLE 

What Controls the 

Biodiversity and 

Function of Cryptogam 

Microbiomes? 


Zhang Lab, Department of 


University 

LOCATION(S) 

Highlands, North 

Carolina; Princeton, New 

Jersey; Sherbrooke, 

Québec, Canada 

MENTOR(S) 

Xinning Zhang, Assistant 



Environmental Institute, 

Romain Darnajoux, 

Associate Research 

Scholar, Geosciences 

I investigated the biotic and abiotic factors 

affecting cryptogam biodiversity and function. 

We studied their roles in biological nitrogen 

availability by measuring different aspects of 

cryptogam function, like biological nitrogen 

fixation, production of greenhouse gas nitrous 

oxide, and component bacteria communities. My 

co-interns and I collected field samples across 

latitudes and altitudes in Québec, Canada, 

and in North Carolina. I had the opportunity 

to familiarize myself with various species of 

mosses, lichens, and liverwort in the field and 

learned about their biome-specific, ecosystemspecific, 

and microenvironment-specific 

differences. We visited and met researchers 

and colleagues at the Université de Sherbrooke, 

Highlands Biological Station, and The Watershed 

Institute. Back in the lab, we performed 

chemical and biological analyses, which we 

then processed into quantitative measurements 

of cryptogam function. I enjoyed many firsts, 

like short-term and long-term project planning 

and implementation, a glimpse into highly 

interdisciplinary environmental research, and 

I developed important critical thinking and 

problem-solving skills. I also gained exposure 

to environmental research and increased my 

knowledge of botany and geochemistry. Now, I 

notice cryptogams everywhere, noting all the 

same patterns we learned about and observed 

this summer. 

38 


Biodiversity Grand Challenges project, “What 

Controls the Biodiversity and Function of 

Cryptogram Microbiomes.”

Leila Grant ’24 


Certificates: Applications of Computing, 

Geological Engineering 

PROJECT TITLE 

Southern Ocean Diatom 

Nutrient Consumption in 

the Western Atlantic 


Sigman Research 

Laboratory, Department 

of Geosciences, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Daniel Sigman, Dusenbury 

Professor of Geological 

and Geophysical 

Sciences, Professor of 

Geosciences; Matthew 

Lacerra, Ph.D. candidate, 

Geosciences 

I worked with sediment samples from a core 

in the Western Atlantic Antarctic Zone to 

isolate and clean material from diatoms and to 

measure the nitrogen isotopes bound within 

their opal structures. Measuring the nitrogen 

isotopes bound within fossilized diatoms gives 

us insight into past nutrient availability and 

consumption in the Antarctic Zone. Diatoms 

within the Southern Ocean’s Antarctic Zone 

consume upwelled nitrate with a preference for 

lighter isotopes. Records from the Indo-Pacific 

Antarctic Zone follow a consistent pattern of 

glacial-interglacial changes in isotope weight. 

The East Atlantic Antarctic Zone, however, shows 

a nearly opposite pattern of isotopic change. 

This new analysis of the Western Atlantic 

Antarctic Zone gives us more insight into the 

unique environmental behavior of this sector as 

well as the opportunity to explore new theories 

about nitrate transfer. My work this summer 

familiarized me with the process of research 

and gave me confidence in pursuing lab-based 

projects. 

CLIMATE AND 


39

Lucy Huelskamp ’24 

NEUROSCIENCE 

CLIMATE AND 


PROJECT TITLE 

Molecular Biological 

Investigation of the Marine 

Nitrogen Cycle 


The Ward Lab, 

Department of 

Geosciences, 


LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Bess Ward, William J. 

Sinclair Professor of 

Geosciences and the High 


Institute; Samantha 

Fortin, Postdoctoral 

Research Associate, 

Geosciences; Amal 

Jayakumar, Senior 

Professional Specialist, 

Geosciences 

I researched genes involved in denitrification, 

nitrogen fixation, nitrate reduction, and 

nitrite oxidation — nosZ, nifH, nxrB, and 

narG, respectively — as part of the Ward Lab, 

which studies nitrogen cycling in oxygen 

minimum zones (OMZs). I contributed to a 

project studying nitrogen fixation in OMZs by 

working to understand the diversity and activity 

of the microbes involved. I amplified nifH, a 

gene encoding dinitrogenase reductase, by 

polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using barcoded 

primer pairs from DNA and RNA extracted from 

the eastern tropical North and South Pacific 

OMZs’ water columns. After amplification, I 

purified the PCR products using a gel extraction 

protocol and quantified the clean products. 

Equal quantities of these products will be pooled 

and sequenced at the Genomics Core Facility. 

The resulting sequence data is expected to 

reveal the identities and relative abundances 

of the dominant nitrogen-fixing microbes 

present at different depths in the OMZs’ water 

columns. This can be correlated with rate data 

to offer insights into the diversity and activity 

of prokaryotic nitrogen fixers present in these 

OMZs. Through this project, I gained valuable 

microbiology research experience through and 

I enjoyed learning about the adaptations nitrite 

oxidizing bacteria possess that allow them to 

operate in OMZs. 

40

India Ingemi ’24 


PROJECT TITLE 

Fish Ecology From Ear 

Stones (Otoliths) and Coral 

Skeletal Material Past and 

Present 



Laboratory and The Ward 

Lab, Department of 


University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Geosciences; Bess Ward, 

William J. Sinclair 




Jessica Lueders-Dumont, 


Fellow, Geosciences 

My goal was to determine the nitrogen isotopic 

baseline (δN 15 / δN 14 ratio) in the Caribbean 

and Pacific Ocean across the Miocene, Pliocene, 

and Modern epochs. I accomplished this by 

performing nitrogen isotope analysis on otoliths, 

or ear bones, from myctophids, a family of fish 

that live in the ocean below the zone where 

sunlight can reach. Otoliths contain small 

amounts of protein that serve as great indicators 

of a fish’s δN 15 / δN 14 ratio. Measuring the 

nitrogen content of the otoliths involved a 7-day 

long procedure: I first cleaned the samples using 

chemical reduction and oxidation to remove 

nonorganic bound matter, then I oxidized the 

organic material using persulfate and sodium 

hydroxide, before pH adjusting and sparging the 

samples, and finally performed N 2 

O nitrogen 

isotope ratio spectroscopy. I found it fascinating 

how so much paleontological history can be 

garnered by comparing the δN 15 / δN 14 ratio 

of modern and fossil myctophid otoliths; for 

example, this method helps to narrow the 

estimated time frame of the formation of the 

Isthmus of Panama. Additionally, I gained 

valuable lab skills, including how to use a mass 

spectrometer and centrifuge, which are greatly 

applicable to my future career. 

CLIMATE AND 


41

Spencer Koonin ’24 

CHEMISTRY 


CLIMATE AND 


PROJECT TITLE 

What Controls the 

Biodiversity and Function 

of Cryptogam 

Microbiomes? 




University 

LOCATION(S) 





MENTOR(S) 








I studied plant life on a smaller scale by 

investigating mosses, liverworts, and lichens. 

Known as cryptogams, these small plants provide 

necessary macronutrients like nitrogen to their 

surroundings. We focused on a process known 

as biological nitrogen fixation, where nitrogen 

gas in the air around us is made available for 

organisms to use. I collected specimens of moss 

and lichen in the boreal forests of northern 

Québec and the Appalachian Mountains of North 

Carolina. These samples were selected in areas 

with varying levels of deposited nutrients and 

pollution from human activity. Back in the lab, I 

analyzed the samples to investigate how nitrogen 

and various metals influence biological nitrogen 

fixation activity and nitrogenase enzymes, with 

the goal of gaining a better understanding of 

the nitrogen cycle. This internship introduced 

me to the extraordinarily complex world of 

cryptogams, which our world could not exist 

without. My future can only benefit from the 

invaluable knowledge I gained, in particular 

the insight into how to create and address 

meaningful biogeochemical research questions 

about the world around me. 




Cryptogram Microbiomes.” 

42

Saumya Malik ’24 

COMPUTER SCIENCE 

PROJECT TITLE 

Can We Predict Primary 

Production in the Ocean? 





University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Graeme MacGilchrist, 


Associate, Program in 

Atmospheric and Oceanic 

Sciences 

My project aimed to quantify the predictability 

of multiple biogeochemical drivers of the 

ocean ecosystem. One driver that I focused 

on is net primary production, which is the 

amount of biomass or carbon produced by 

primary producers per unit area and time; this 

is estimated by subtracting plant respiratory 

costs from gross primary productivity or total 

photosynthesis. Quantifying the predictability 

of these drivers allows stakeholders like fisheries 

to have a better understanding of forecasting 

capabilities and thus improve their management. 

My work involved analyzing the data from a 

new set of simulation experiments run on the 

Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory’s Earth 

System Model. I wrote code in the program 

Python to perform calculations of metrics like 

prognostic potential predictability (PPP) on 300 

years’ worth of simulation data. I produced many 

plots that visualize the PPP of multiple variables 

in different ways — taking averages over regions 

and globally, looking at individual grid points 

over time, and making animations of global maps 

over time. By the end of the project, I was able 

to quantify the predictability of many variables 

and I gained an understanding of the many 

interesting ways of looking at predictability, 

which was a fascinating realization for me. 

CLIMATE AND 


43

Alex Moosbrugger ’24 


Certificate: Geological Engineering 

CLIMATE AND 


PROJECT TITLE 

Nature-based Climate 

Solutions, Blue Carbon 


Environmental Defense 

Fund (EDF) 

LOCATION(S) 

San Francisco, California; 

Santa Barbara, California 

MENTOR(S) 

Rod Fujita, Senior 

Scientist and Director, 

Research and 

Development, Oceans 

Program, EDF 

I worked with the Environmental Defense Fund 

to research and analyze different methods 

of seaweed aquaculture. I evaluated these 

methods based on adherence to carbon-capture 

criteria, scientific rigor, co-benefits provided, 

contributions to environmental justice, and nearterm 

feasibility. I contributed to a manuscript 

(soon to be submitted for publication) on the 

potential and readiness of seaweed as a major 

contributor to blue carbon, which is carbon 

sequestered in marine systems. I also contributed 

to an internal comparison study to help my 

team create a roadmap for including seaweed 

in countries’ blue carbon plans. Additionally, I 

researched various specific questions relating 

to seaweed blue carbon, such as possible 

halocarbon emissions from seaweed, how to 

incorporate seaweed into cattle feed to reduce 

enteric methane emissions, and investigated the 

appetite for seaweed as food. My work involved 

collaboration and interviewing experts, and I 

learned how to work well in a research-focused 

team: asking questions to both learn what I 

needed to, taking advantage of the expertise of 

my colleagues, and sharing information in the 

most helpful and effective ways. Because of this 

internship, I anticipate that ocean- and naturebased 

climate solutions will play a large role in 

my future study and career. 

44

Celia Murphy-Braunstein ’25 

GEOSCIENCES 

PROJECT TITLE 

Glimpses of Late- 

Cretaceous Ocean: 

Reconstructing Marine 

Environment From 

Foraminifera 



Laboratory, Department 

of Geosciences, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Geosciences; Crystal Rao, 

Ph.D. candidate, 

Geosciences 

My internship centered on collecting and 

processing foraminifera fossils from sediment core 

samples from the North Atlantic. Foraminifera 

are single-celled zooplankton that form a 

calcium carbonate shell. These shells incorporate 

nutrients from their surroundings, where the 

isotopic composition of such organic matter acts 

as a record that can educate us on past marine 

environments. The central samples in my project 

are foraminifera from the late Cretaceous period 

between 82-66 million years ago. I helped to 

collect foraminera fossils from sediment core 

samples, washed away clay and fine particles to 

separate the fossils by different size fractions, and 

prepared them for analysis on a mass spectrometer. 

Through this internship, I've learned more about 

the mechanisms within ocean productivity and 

nutrient cycling, and in particular the nitrogen 

cycle. I now further value paleoceanography 

for helping us better understand how ocean 

environments are associated with climate changes. 

This internship has provided me with invaluable 

lab experience and introduced me to the process 

of independent research, which I hope to pursue in 

the future within the field of geochemistry. 

CLIMATE AND 


45

Kenya Ripley-Dunlap ’24 


Certificates: Chinese Language and Culture, 

Gender and Sexuality Studies 

CLIMATE AND 


PROJECT TITLE 

Fish Ecology From Ear 

Stones (Otoliths) and Coral 

Skeletal Material Past and 

Present 



Laboratory and The Ward 

Lab, Department of 


University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Geosciences; Bess Ward, 

William J. Sinclair 




Jessica Lueders-Dumont, 


Fellow, Geosciences 

I focused on two topics in marine ecology: cod 

trophic level changes over the past few centuries 

and humpback whale migration patterns. 

Nitrogen isotope contents can relay information 

about an individual’s place in the food web, with 

a higher concentration of nitrogen-15 signifying 

a higher trophic level. To understand changes 

in cod trophic levels, I analyzed modern and 

archeological cod otoliths — fish ear bones — 

using a denitrifier method. This method converts 

organic bound nitrogen to nitrous oxide using 

processes including oxidation, pH adjustments, 

and bacteria sparging, which is quantified by 

nitrous oxide spectroscopy. I used the same 

method to analyze coronulid barnacles, which 

grow on humpback whales. The nitrogen isotopic 

content of the coronulid at different locations 

is related to where the humpback whale was at 

the coronulid’s time of growth, which allows the 

whale’s migration pattern to be mapped. I am 

thankful to have had the opportunity to carry out 

the method from the first step of drilling samples 

all the way to the last step of spectroscopy data 

retrieval. Working with so many amazing people 

and understanding the interconnectedness 

of research has inspired me to seek out more 

environmental research opportunities in the 

future. 

46

Emily Yang ’25 

UNDECLARED 

PROJECT TITLE 

The Wonderfully Diverse 

World of Cryptogams 




University 

LOCATION(S) 





MENTOR(S) 








I studied the effects of different environmental 

factors on the diversity and function of lichens, 

mosses, and liverworts. My project involved 

developing an artistic representation of the 

research our group was doing, including 

recording footage and field recordings of our 

travels to the boreal forest in Quebec and the 

Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, and 

creating a proposal for a booklet introducing 

environmental microbes to elementary grade 

students. Through this internship, I developed 

skills in multimedia communication and science 

outreach while gaining further perspectives on 

environmental research in biogeochemistry, 

which will be useful as I move forward in my 

undergraduate studies and future work. 

CLIMATE AND 





Cryptogram Microbiomes.” 

47

David Ban ’24 

GEOSCIENCES 

EXTREME WEATHER 

AND IMPACTS 

PROJECT TITLE 

The Climate Footprint on 

Sea Surface Temperatures 

and Tropical Cyclones 


Climate Central 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Andrew Pershing, 

Director of Climate 

Science, Climate Central; 

Daniel Gilford, Climate 

Scientist, Climate Central 

I studied the influence of climate change on 

Atlantic Ocean sea surface temperature (SST) and 

its relation to tropical cyclones. Warm water is a 

key factor for tropical cyclones, and the impact 

of warmer SSTs on cyclones is a significant topic 

in climate science and meteorology. I aimed to 

better quantify global warming’s footprint on 

SST and to highlight this footprint for cyclones. 

Climate Central created a Climate Shift Index 

(CSI) scale that compares the likelihood of a given 

land temperature in the current climate and in a 

warming-free climate. I used the program Python 

to apply the underlying method of the CSI project 

to SSTs to obtain climate factor (CF) values, 

which measure the change in probability of a 

certain SST at a location and time. Then, I used 

tropical cyclone data to obtain CF values along 

a storm’s track at the corresponding time and 

location to find relationships between the storms 

and the CF. I gained experience with Python and 

learned to analyse large meteorological datasets. 

I always wanted a future in severe weather 

research, but never thought that I would engage 

with climate issues. I now have an appreciation 

for how intertwined climate science and 

meteorology are. 

48

Bryan Boyd ’24 


PROJECT TITLE 

Extreme Wind Effects on 

Kinetic Umbrellas 


Creative and Resilient 

Urban Engineering 

(CRUE) Research 

Group and Structural 

Health Monitoring 

(SHM) Research Group, 

Department of Civil 

and Environmental 

Engineering, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Maria Garlock, Professor 

of Civil and Environmental 

Engineering; Branko 

Glisic, Professor of Civil 


Engineering 

I studied kinetic umbrellas: a new form of 

adaptable “aquatecture” that is being developed 

to help mitigate damage to coastal towns during 

hurricanes and other extreme weather events. 

These umbrellas provide shade and shelter 

from rain while undeployed, but when deployed 

they form a makeshift wall that prevents large 

waves from flooding the shoreline. The first 

part of my research involved building a wind 

tunnel to analyze the effects of extreme winds 

on models of the umbrellas. The second part of 

my research focused on creating a prototype 

umbrella that will be placed in the Princeton 

Garden Project. This involved modeling the 

umbrella using finite-element software known as 

SAP2000, calculating pressure values for varying 

precipitation and wind load cases, and analyzing 

stress and deformation results. These results 

allowed us to gauge the model’s feasibility and to 

create a layout of where sensors should be placed 

on the model. I learned how to read the American 

Society of Civil Engineers’ codes, use structural 

engineering software to model geometries and 

loadings, and apply construction methods. This 

experience has both expanded my knowledge 

in structural engineering and fueled my 

passion for developing natural disaster resilient 

infrastructure. 


AND IMPACTS 

49

Ben Buchovecky ’23 

GEOSCIENCES 


AND IMPACTS 

PROJECT TITLE 

Impacts of High-latitude 

Land-Climate Interactions 

on Arctic Climate Change 


Department of 

Atmospheric Sciences, 

University of Washington 

LOCATION(S) 

Seattle, Washington 

MENTOR(S) 

Kyle Armour, 


Atmospheric Sciences 

and Oceanography, 

University of Washington; 

Abigail Swann, Associate 

Professor of Atmospheric 

Sciences and Biology, 


Lily Hahn, Ph.D. 

candidate, University of 

Washington; Claire 

Zarakas, Ph.D. candidate, 


I studied how the plant response to increasing 

CO 2 

impacts Arctic warming via heat transport. 

I did this by analyzing the output of six climate 

models from the Coupled Model Intercomparison 

Project (phase 6). As CO 2 

concentrations increase, 

plants respond via multiple physiological 

changes that can warm land surface 

temperatures. Climate models simulate plants to 

varying degrees of complexity, but their impact 

on global warming has remained unclear. My 

team and I first analyzed spatial maps and 

histograms, from which we found that the Arctic 

warming contribution driven by plant physiology 

was significant and distinct from natural 

variability. We then calculated atmospheric and 

implied oceanic heat transports into the Arctic 

from surface and top-of-atmosphere heat fluxes. 

From this analysis, we found that there is a 

multi-model mean increase in northward heat 

transport, but significant inter-model spread 

prevents a clear conclusion and necessitates 

further analysis. This internship provided me 

valuable experience in the fields of atmospheric 

science and climate dynamics and taught me new 

analysis techniques in the programs Python and 

NCL that are readily applicable in other research 

contexts. Working closely with my mentors on 

this project reinforced my interest in pursuing a 

research career in climate science. 

50

Madeleine Burns ’24 


Certificate: Applications of Computing 

PROJECT TITLE 

Impacts of High-latitude 

Land-Climate Interactions 

on Arctic Climate Change 


Department of 

Atmospheric Sciences, 


LOCATION(S) 

Seattle, Washington 

MENTOR(S) 

Kyle Armour, Associate 


Sciences and 

Oceanography, University 

of Washington; Abigail 

Swann, Associate 


Sciences and Biology, 


Lily Hahn, Ph.D. 

candidate, University of 

Washington; Claire 

Zarakas, Ph.D. candidate, 


I analyzed how plant responses to increased 

CO 2 

concentrations impact polar amplification, 

the observed pattern that warming occurs at 

a faster rate at northern latitudes. Because 

plant reactions to increased CO 2 

concentrations 

have not been thoroughly studied, narrowing 

uncertainty in this area will enable more 

accurate predictions of future warming. I focused 

on the albedo feedback response, in which a 

decrease in surface reflectiveness (for instance, 

a reduction in snow cover) results in an increase 

in absorbed heat, contributing to an increase in 

global temperatures. I used Earth system models 

from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 

to isolate plant physiological changes due to 

increased CO 2 

concentrations. Then, I quantified 

the physiologically driven albedo feedback 

contributions and analyzed the contributing 

mechanisms. This project provided a valuable 

opportunity to expand my data analysis and 

visualization skills while working with large sets 

of climate model data. The experience furthered 

my interest in climate modeling and instilled 

a curiosity about atmospheric and geological 

sciences, leaving me inspired to pursue these 

subjects further at Princeton. 


AND IMPACTS 

51

Laeo Crnkovic-Rubsamen ’24 

GEOSCIENCES 

Certificates: Applications of Computing, Statistics 

and Machine Learning 


AND IMPACTS 

PROJECT TITLE 

Modeling Interacting 

Tipping Elements in the 

Earth System 


Earth System Resilience 

Group, Potsdam Institute 

for Climate Impact 

Research (PIK) 

LOCATION(S) 

Potsdam, Germany 

MENTOR(S) 

Jonathan Donges, 

Visiting Research 

Collaborator, High 


Institute, Princeton 

University, and FutureLab 

Co-Leader and Working 

Group Leader, PIK; 

Niklas Kitzmann, 

Ph.D. candidate, PIK; 

Ann Kristin Klose, 


Nico Wunderling, Ph.D. 

candidate, PIK 

I studied the effects of early warning signals on 

human investment in clean energy. My research 

involved coupling a model of the natural system 

with a social model. The social model describes 

human investment in clean energy based on 

the perceived economic damage of current CO 2 

levels and the social acceptance of clean energy 

investment. The natural system model consisted 

of tipping elements, i.e., elements that could 

potentially be pushed into a different state by 

rising global temperatures or interactions with 

each other. I focused on four tipping elements: 

the Greenland ice sheet, Amazon rainforest, West 

Antarctic ice sheet, and the Atlantic Meridional 

Overturning Circulation (AMOC). The tipped 

states are a melted state for the ice sheets, a stalled 

state for AMOC, or a large scale die-off for the 

Amazon, and there are discernable early warning 

signals for each. I used these warning signals 

to inform the social acceptance of investing in 

clean energy and thus create a more robust model 

of human interaction with the natural system. 

I gained invaluable experience in developing 

models and researching climate systems and am 

inspired to continue researching the rich field of 

human interaction with the climate system during 

the Anthropocene. 

52

Ruby Jacobs ’24 


PROJECT TITLE 

Extreme Wind Effects on 

Kinetic Umbrellas 


Creative and Resilient 

Urban Engineering 

(CRUE) Research 

Group and Structural 

Health Monitoring 

(SHM) Research Group, 




University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Maria Garlock, Professor 


Engineering; Branko 

Glisic, Professor of Civil 


Engineering 

I studied the structural behavior of kinetic 

umbrellas, which are four-sided concrete 

hyperbolic paraboloid shells. Kinetic umbrellas 

are an innovative flood barrier structure that can 

defend against nearshore hazards; when lined 

by the shore and tilted to a deployed position, 

they can combat the threat of flooding during 

severe weather. I analyzed the effects of various 

wind and gravity load combinations on the 

structural behavior of a prototype umbrella to be 

built in the Princeton Garden Project. We used 

ASCE 7-16 design codes to determine a value for 

static surface pressure due to wind, rain, and 

snow based on the risk category, geographic 

location, and geometry of the umbrella. Then, 

we used SAP2000 to build finite element models 

of the umbrella in its undeployed and deployed 

positions. We used these models to analyze 

stresses and deformations in the umbrella 

under loading, which provides insight into 

the design’s safety and feasibility. Finally, we 

designed layouts for strain and wind pressure 

sensors that will collect data on the umbrella 

once built. I gained valuable experience in finite 

element modeling, the structural engineering 

design process, and construction methods. This 

internship has made me even more excited to 

continue my studies in structural engineering. 


AND IMPACTS 

53

Shelby Kinch ’23 

ANTHROPOLOGY 

Certificate: Linguistics 


AND IMPACTS 

PROJECT TITLE 

High Water Mark: Rain 

Gardens as a Tool for 

Flood Mitigation 


VizE Lab for Ethnographic 

Data Visualization, 

Department of 

Anthropology, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 

Princeton, New Jersey; 

Trenton, New Jersey 

MENTOR(S) 

Jeffrey Himpele, Director, 


Data Visualization and 

Lecturer in Anthropology; 

Carolyn Rouse, Ritter 

Professor of Anthropology 

My project focused on the use of rain gardens 

as tools for mitigating floods and improving 

water quality. Rain gardens are an example of 

green infrastructure, a type of infrastructure 

that utilizes natural processes to manage 

flooding. The benefits of rain gardens include 

flood mitigation, the restoration of native plant 

ecosystems, and improvements to water quality. 

However, many resources on rain gardens are 

difficult to access and are often highly technical. 

My goal was to learn more about rain gardens 

and the specific resources available related to 

them, and to then translate this knowledge into a 

deliverable guide for local residents. I researched 

local plants and compiled a list of local experts 

who had worked on rain gardens previously, who 

I then interviewed. I used this information to 

design a Princeton rain garden guide, poster, and 

website to market information on rain gardens 

in an accessible way. I gained experience with 

ethnographic research, filmmaking, design, and 

data visualization. The challenge of this project 

was to market environmental concepts in a way 

that was both engaging and widely accessible. 

This project has inspired me to look into careers 

in environmental marketing that explore the 

intersection of public affairs, communications, 

and environmental science. 

54

Wiley Kohler ’25 

MATHEMATICS 

PROJECT TITLE 

Predicting Antarctic Melt 

Rates Using Physicsinformed 

Deep Learning 


Lai Group, Department of 


University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Ching-Yao Lai, Assistant 


I studied the behavior of Antarctic ice shelves 

using various machine learning techniques. 

Understanding the role of ice shelves, the floating 

outlets of ice sheets into the ocean, is key to 

understanding global sea level rise as a result of 

climate change. In Antarctica in particular, ice 

shelves form an important buffer that stabilizes 

the continent’s substantial ice mass. However, 

many of their attributes are difficult to measure 

accurately, which makes predictions of future 

sea level change more difficult. I used neural 

networks to develop less noisy, continuous, 

and infinitely differentiable models of ice 

velocity, thickness, and other factors, which 

can be used to better understand and predict 

the future behavior of ice shelves. Beyond 

actually developing this model, I studied the 

properties of some of these neural networks and 

the effectiveness of various machine learning 

techniques in the context of fluid dynamics 

problems. I learned a lot about implementing 

machine learning algorithms in the context 

of climate science and had the opportunity 

to independently explore new questions. As a 

result of these experiences, I plan to continue to 

pursue coursework and independent work at the 

intersection of computer and climate sciences. 


AND IMPACTS 

55

Kyung Eun Lee ’25 

UNDECLARED 


AND IMPACTS 

PROJECT TITLE 

High Water Mark: Rain 

Gardens as a Tool for 

Flood Mitigation 



Data Visualization, 

Department of 

Anthropology, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 


Trenton, New Jersey 

MENTOR(S) 

Jeffrey Himpele, Director, 


Data Visualization and 

Lecturer in Anthropology; 

Carolyn Rouse, Ritter 

Professor of Anthropology 

High Water Mark is an ongoing research 

project dedicated to studying flooding issues in 

Princeton and Trenton, New Jersey. I conducted 

ethnographic interviews with local residents, 

Princeton affiliates, and local environmental 

organizations to learn more about the processes 

and relationships between local policy, 

environmental science and engineering, urban 

planning, and communal life as it relates to 

water. The goal of the project is to learn about 

residents’ perspectives on matters ranging from 

rainwater and flooding in their own houses, to 

local government participation, as well as more 

general ideas of sustainability, climate change, 

and the intersectionality of policy and nature. 

This project aims to provide more accessible 

education and information on the complexities 

of environmental science as it pertains to the 

individual via different methods, including 

creating rain garden brochures and documentary 

films to spread awareness. I found talking to 

local residents and learning about the local 

community to be extremely important, and a 

gratifying complement to other, more formal 

research; it is a grounding experience and 

motivates me to work harder toward meaningful 

goals. I look forward to continuing this research 

in the coming academic year, and hope to also 

include my experience from this project in my 

independent work. 

56

Sam Melton ’23 


Certificate: Urban Studies 

PROJECT TITLE 

Geospatial Data Collection 

and Mapping 


Climate Central 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Jennifer Brady, Manager, 

Analysis and Production, 

Climate Central; Andrew 

Pershing, Director of 

Climate Science, Climate 

Central; Kaitlyn Trudeau, 

Data Analyst, Climate 

Central 

I worked with Climate Central’s Climate Matters 

program to perform data analysis related to 

urban heat island intensity and how far people 

in urban areas live from substantial green spaces 

on nearly 500 cities across the United States. I 

performed these analyses using ArcGIS Pro, a 

software program that aids in geospatial analysis 

and mapmaking. I combined census data and 

recent land cover data to create maps revealing 

concentrations of heat or lack of green space in 

the cities. I also created charts to demonstrate 

correlations between distance to green space 

with race and income; these findings may be 

developed further for a future release from 

Climate Matters. This work highlighted the 

environmental inequities present in cities, 

which will only be worsened by climate change. 

Through this internship, I was able to develop 

my geospatial analysis and mapping skills, 

which I plan to utilize in my senior thesis. 

Working with Climate Central also gave me the 

opportunity to conduct data analysis related to 

environmentalism and urbanism for a nonprofit 

organization, which I now hope to do in my 

future career. 


AND IMPACTS 

57

Yi Jin Toh ’25 

UNDECLARED 


AND IMPACTS 

PROJECT TITLE 

Marine Heat Waves and 

Their Impact on Ocean 

Biology 





University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Graeme MacGilchrist, 




Sciences; Marion Alberty, 




Sciences 

Marine heat waves are prolonged periods of 

anomalously warm water that can impact 

regional climate and ecosystems. These 

impacts are partially mediated by changes to 

phytoplankton growth, the base of the oceanic 

food chain. Existing literature estimates the 

impact of marine heat waves on phytoplankton 

growth by averaging phytoplankton responses. 

However, it could be helpful to observe how 

phytoplankton responses evolve in conjunction 

with other biogeochemical processes in 

the ocean. I used simulation data from the 

Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory’s Earth 

System Model to explore the characteristics of 

marine heat waves in several regions of interest. 

Then, I calculated the climatologies for nutrients, 

phytoplankton, and other variables and 

investigated how they are impacted by marine 

heat waves. We found that phytoplankton in the 

same region can respond differently to marine 

heat waves depending on factors including 

season, phytoplankton species, and marine 

heat wave intensity. Many further questions 

arose from these results, and I am excited to 

continue working with my mentors to answer 

them. Overall, this internship was an inspiring 

experience for me – it solidified my passion for 

coding and, as a result, I’ve decided to take more 

applications-based coding classes and possibly 

even major in Computer Science. 

58

Brendan Zelikman ’23 


Certificate: Music Performance 

PROJECT TITLE 

Real-time Forecasting 

System for Hurricane 

Hazards and Risk 


Hurricane Hazards and 

Risk Analysis Group, 




University 

MENTOR(S) 

Ning Lin, 


Civil and Environmental 


University; 

Christine Blackshaw, 

Ph.D. candidate, Civil 



University; Avantika Gori, 

Ph.D. candidate, Civil 



University 

I developed a website for predicting hurricane 

risk in counties across the United States 

using weather data sourced from the National 

Hurricane Center. Tropical cyclones pose a 

significant danger to coastal communities, so 

creating forecasting systems that support realtime 

decision-making is crucial for evacuation, 

recovery, and resilience. My work focused on 

designing and coding the website from scratch. 

This process included building a user-friendly 

layout in the design tool Figma, implementing 

an interactive county map in React – the free 

and open-source JavaScript library – and setting 

up a hosted database on the software cPanel. 

I researched design philosophy to make the 

website usable by everybody, and I practiced 

professional coding etiquette to ensure the 

project is maintainable in the future. This 

internship gave me a chance to apply and refine 

my skills in web development, and it taught 

me a lot about hurricanes and climate science 

in general. It also reignited my passion for 

conservation, and I am inspired to pursue a 

career in environmental computer science. 


AND IMPACTS 

59

Edward Zhang ’24 




AND IMPACTS 

PROJECT TITLE 

A Biologically-based 

Analysis of Climatic 

Trends in Marine Heat 

Waves 





University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





I investigated how trends in the oxygen levels 

of subtropical oceans change with increasing 

temperatures. Increased variance in oxygen 

levels with increasing temperature was first 

observed in the shallow waters of the Caribbean. 

This is a concerning trend as severe increased 

oxygen variance may profoundly impact the 

survival of marine species. I investigated trends 

in oxygen levels along the Australian coastline 

using ocean datasets from over 20 years. I first 

extracted and cleaned the data. I then performed 

a statistical regression analysis, and found six 

locations that exhibited this same concerning 

pattern of increasing oxygen variance with 

increased temperatures. Then, I performed the 

same analysis on outputs from the Geophysical 

Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Earth System 

Model version 4, a climate simulation model. I 

found it interesting to compare the results from 

real-world data to model data, and learned that 

they require different methods of analysis and 

often produce different results. Through my 

project, I learned to analyze data using MATLAB 

and Python, and explored the strengths and 

limitations of both programs. These skills will be 

invaluable for my future research projects, and 

have given me the confidence to pursue research 

that involves analyzing large amounts of data. 

60

Jasmine Zhang ’24 


Certificates: Applied and Computational 

Mathematics, Statistics and Machine Learning 

PROJECT TITLE 

Modeling Interacting 

Tipping Elements in the 

Earth System 


Earth System Resilience 

Group, Potsdam Institute 

for Climate Impact 

Research (PIK) 

LOCATION(S) 

Potsdam, Germany 

MENTOR(S) 

Jonathan Donges, 

Visiting Research 

Collaborator, High 


Institute, Princeton 

University, and FutureLab 

Co-Leader and Working 

Group Leader, PIK; 

Niklas Kitzmann, 


Ann Kristin Klose, 


Nico Wunderling, Ph.D. 

candidate, PIK 

I studied climate tipping elements, elements in 

our Earth system that can “tip” into different 

states upon meeting a certain threshold. There 

are heavy environmental repercussions when an 

element tips, and it is difficult for it to return to 

the original state. Examples of tipping elements 

include the Amazon rainforest and the Atlantic 

Meridional Overturning Circulation. Tipping 

elements also interact with each other through 

different feedback mechanisms. Once an element 

tips, it could lead to a domino effect, with other 

elements subsequently tipping. My project 

involved modeling interacting tipping elements 

to determine how they affect and are affected 

by social activism. The tipping elements are 

modeled by the PyCascades model developed 

by one of my mentors, Nico Wunderling, and 

social activism is modeled by an extension 

of the Granovetter model developed by Marc 

Wiedermann. I first coded this social model, 

then coupled the environmental and social 

models together, such that they influenced each 

other through time. I coded this coupled model 

iteratively while continuously brainstorming and 

updating it to make the coupling more realistic. 

I learned an incredible amount about the power 

of developing models and I am inspired to pursue 

future classes and research in climate modeling. 


AND IMPACTS 

61

Ahmad Ateyeh ’25 

ELECTRICAL AND COMPUTER ENGINEERING 

INNOVATION AND A 

NEW ENERGY FUTURE 

PROJECT TITLE 

Small Clean Fusion 

Reactors 


Princeton Plasma Physics 

Laboratory 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Samuel Cohen, Director, 

Program in Plasma 

Science and Technology, 


Laboratory 

I worked with the Princeton Field Reversed 

Configuration (PFRC) group on an ongoing 

experiment to construct a small, clean fusion 

reactor. My specific focus was on the PFRC’s 

radio frequency (RF) heating system, which is 

the part of the reactor that allows the plasma 

to reach a temperature sufficient to generate 

power. In the current form of the PFRC, the power 

efficiency of the RF system is very low. I helped 

construct a model of the RF system on a circuit 

analysis software known as Pspice, and then 

used this model’s output to provide insights on 

how to increase the system’s power efficiency. 

Throughout this project, I was able to gain 

experience with software and languages that are 

ubiquitous in the electrical engineering field, 

such as Pspice and MATLAB. I also gained handson 

experience in a laboratory setting. Overall, I 

loved that this project expanded my knowledge 

of the possibilities of renewable energy, and I am 

looking forward to expanding my horizon even 

more in future endeavors. 

62

Kennedy Boniface ’24 


PROJECT TITLE 

Increasing Foreign 

Renewable Investments: 

Bilateral Financing for 

Power Generation 

Technologies in Africa 


Center for Policy 

Research on Energy 

and the Environment 

(C-PREE), School of Public 

and International Affairs, 


LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Denise Mauzerall, 

Professor of Civil and 


Engineering and Public 

and International Affairs; 

Jing Liang, Postdoctoral 


School of Public and 


Africa is home to 17% of the world’s population 

but only accounts for 4% of global power 

supply investment. This disproportion, though 

dire, presents a great opportunity for African 

countries. Instead of addressing their energy 

needs through fossil fuels, these countries have 

the opportunity to leapfrog these energy sources 

and build clean and sustainable energy systems. 

Our project focused on increasing Chinese 

investment into renewable technologies because 

China has been the biggest financier for the 

energy sector in Africa for the past 20 years. I 

examined existing databases and publications to 

better understand Chinese investment patterns 

in select African countries. We also contacted 

and interviewed more than 20 experts from 

select countries and organizations to flesh out 

and address the factors affecting the level of 

renewable energy investment on the continent. 

Through these interviews, I not only gained a 

richer appreciation for the potential of renewable 

technologies in developing economies, I also 

learned more about academic communication. 

Moreover, working with visualization tools and 

handling large quantitative datasets greatly 

improved my data analysis and presentation 

skills. I plan to continue researching and taking 

courses about renewable energy policies and 

financing, in addition to my current engineering 

interests in renewable technologies. 



63

Hyaline Chen ’25 

UNDECLARED 

PROJECT TITLE 

Small Clean Fusion 

Reactors 

Our research aimed to develop a compact fusion 

reactor that produces less contamination in 

the experiments happening in the Princeton 

Field Reversed Configurations (PFRC) program. 

I primarily ran simulations of single ion 

trajectories inside the PFRC magnetic field and 

observed the heating and confinement of the 

particles when started with different initial 

conditions. I then sought to explain the observed 

behaviors using more analytical models. 



Laboratory 

LOCATION(S) 




MENTOR(S) 





Laboratory 

64

Daria Fontani Herreros ’24 



Architecture and Engineering 

PROJECT TITLE 

Cultivation of Sulfolobus 

acidocaldarius to Enhance 

Olivine Dissolution Rates 

in Bio-Cement 


Sustainable Cements 



Engineering and the 

Andlinger Center 

for Energy and the 

Environment, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Claire White, 




Andlinger Center for 

Energy and the 

Environment 

The production of cement contributes to 7% 

of anthropogenic carbon emissions and thus 

requires immediate attention in the face of 

our global climate crisis. I worked with the 

Sustainable Cements Group to begin the process 

of creating a bio-cement. This bio-cement uses 

bacteria to enhance a reaction that turns olivine, 

a magnesium-rich silicate mineral abundant on 

the Earth’s crust, into a magnesium carbonate 

cement substitute. I studied the growth of a 

species of thermoacidophilic archaea, Sulfolobus 

acidocaldarius, to learn about its sulfur-oxidizing 

capabilities and the extent to which it could be 

used in this novel approach to cement production. 

My work consisted of inoculating and monitoring 

the bacteria’s growth in different media by 

taking optical density readings at 600nm. These 

meaurements inform on the extent to which 

the bacteria are able to oxidize elemental sulfur 

without added carbon sources. My research helped 

the group confirm that Sulfolobus acidocaldarius 

is not an appropriate bacteria for this research, 

and the next steps for the group involve testing 

a different species, Acidianus brierleyi. This 

experience taught me much about the breadth of 

civil engineering and the innovative ways different 

fields of study can come together to produce 

solutions to the world’s most pressing issues. 



65

Seyi Jung ’24 




PROJECT TITLE 

Light-controlled Selective 

Protein Degradation 


Avalos Group, 

Department of Chemical 

and Biological 





University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

José Avalos, Associate 

Professor of Chemical and 

Biological Engineering 

and the Andlinger Center 


Environment; Allison 

Tang, Ph.D. candidate, 

Chemical and Biological 

Engineering 

The Avalos Group aims to develop more 

efficient methods to produce biofuel such as 

isobutanol from yeast. I helped to develop and 

test optogenetic circuits, which can be used 

to control genetic and metabolic pathways 

via light-controlled protein degradation. I 

implemented and tested the pairing of protein to 

degron, a portion of a protein that is important 

in regulation of protein degradation rates, using 

the ALFA nanobody system for selective protein 

degradation. The system was later placed under 

light-controlled promoters. I also analyzed and 

organized the experimental results that tested 

the effectiveness of the ALFA nanobody system 

and the optogenetic circuits. I gained handson 

experience in yeast engineering, cloning, 

plasmid construction, and data analysis. It 

was a great pleasure to design and successfully 

construct plasmids, which are genetic structures 

in a cell that replicate independently of the 

chromosomes. I also enjoyed theorizing about 

the possible applications of optogenetic circuits 

for not only isobutanol production, but also for 

multiple other metabolic pathways in yeast. 

This has been a great learning experience, and 

I plan to continue exploring the kinetics and 

application of optogenetic circuits throughout 

my junior independent research project. 

66

Brendan Kehoe ’24 


PROJECT TITLE 

The Materials Science of 










University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Claire White, 






Environment; Jordan 

Hamel, Ph.D. candidate, 


Engineering 

I had the pleasure of working on two distinct 

projects. The first was to mathematically modify 

hundreds of datasets collected by neutron 

beams at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. I 

used background subtraction, which took a 

“background function” of the data, and Fourier 

transformation to put the data in a form that 

can provide information about the properties 

of materials measured. My second project was 

to develop a process to make a mineral powder 

known as forsterite. Forsterite is commercially 

available with some percentage of iron, but 

other researchers in my group required pure 

forsterite to determine what effect, if any, the 

iron has. This internship allowed me to engage in 

independent research for the first time, and gave 

me a much better appreciation for the many steps 

taken and setbacks faced by scientific researchers 

before they come to publishable conclusions. My 

dual projects, one more hands-on and one done 

entirely on a computer, have not only furthered 

my interest in doing hands-on research, but 

helped me understand the important role that 

computational work and computer programs can 

play. I’m also inspired to continue engaging in 

environmental research. 



67

Sijbren Kramer ’24 




PROJECT TITLE 

CO 2 

Capture Materials 









University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Claire White, 






Environment; 

Sunxiang (Sean) Zheng, 


Associate, Andlinger 

Center for Energy and the 

Environment 

My work centered around the analysis of 

calcium-based layered double hydroxides 

(LDHs) as materials for carbon capture. LDHs are 

composed of layers of positively charged metal 

hydroxide sheets balanced out by interlayer 

anions and water. I specifically focused on how 

exchanging these anions affects the carbon 

capture and regeneration process of the material. 

I worked to optimize the synthesis of the 

material, refined the anion exchange process, 

and analyzed the carbon capture process of 

various anions. My work helped isolate the 

most effective anions and direct future research 

toward an exploration of the importance of water 

absorption in the choice of anion. I’ve learned 

various analytical tools that I can employ in 

future materials research. Furthermore, I’ve 

learned the importance of thorough technical 

understanding combined with creative problem 

solving to advance scientific frontiers. This 

project has helped me realize that I want to 

pursue further sustainable scientific research. 

68

Amélie Lemay ’24 


Certificate: Sustainable Energy 

PROJECT TITLE 

Energy Efficient 

Photocatalysis 


RandLab, 

Department of 

Electrical and Computer 


University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Barry Rand, Associate 

Professor of Electrical 

and Computer 




Environment; Jesse 

Wisch, Ph.D. candidate, 

Electrical and Computer 

Engineering 

In photoredox catalysis, visible light is used to 

power chemical reactions that were traditionally 

powered by more energy-intensive methods, 

like shining ultraviolet light or heating to 

high temperatures. The RandLab and their 

collaborators have been working on a novel 

photoreactor design that relies on near-field 

energy transfer. This design has the potential 

to further improve the energy efficiency of 

processes powered by photoredox catalysis. My 

role was to aid in optimizing the component 

of this photoreactor that produces the lightemitting 

excitons: the organic light-emitting 

diode (OLED). Our aim was to make the brightest 

OLED possible. We used a variety of organic 

semiconducting materials and optimized 

the thicknesses of different layers. After 

each optimization, we measured the device’s 

current, efficiency, and stability. I learned to 

operate the spin coater, thermal evaporator, 

and characterization equipment used in the 

fabrication and performance evaluation of 

OLEDs. Our final structure was 60% brighter and 

40% more efficient than the initial one, which 

represents a significant improvement to the nearfield 

photoreactor. 



69

Caleb Lunsford ’23 

CIVIL AND ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEEING 

Certificate: Architecture and Engineering 



PROJECT TITLE 

Composition and 

Properties of Alkaliactivated 

Metakaolin 









University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Claire White, 






Environment 

Currently, the production and use of concrete 

and cement accounts for 8% of yearly global 

carbon emissions. My internship studied alkaliactivated 

metakaolin (AAMK), a potential 

replacement for traditional ordinary portland 

cement (OPC). The physical properties and 

emissions of a batch of AAMK depend greatly on 

the mix of chemicals used to make the alkaline 

solution that activates the metakaolin clay. I 

compiled previous research data and analyzed 

the AAMK cement mixes that were tested. By 

comparing the recorded compressive strength 

with known carbon emissions, I was able to 

identify potential cements that would have 

similar or better performance than OPC. With 

this information, I selected three potential alkali 

solutions and created cylindrical samples for 

testing in the lab. While all samples produced 

less emissions than an OPC sample, the AAMK 

cement paste was much stickier. This made it 

difficult to remove all of the air bubbles before 

the cylinders fully set. These air voids acted as 

flaws, reducing the compressive strength of the 

cement below the preferred level. Further tests 

and adjustments need to be performed to adjust 

the AAMK cement mixes to remove all air voids 

before they will be suitable for use. 

70

Leena Memon ’25 


ENGINEERING 


Technology and Society 

PROJECT TITLE 

Increasing Chinese 

Renewable-energy 

Finance in Africa 


Center for Policy 

Research on Energy 

and the Environment 

(C-PREE), School of Public 



LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Denise Mauzerall, 



Engineering and Public 

and International Affairs; 

Jing Liang, Postdoctoral 




I studied the drivers and barriers for Chinese 

finance to renewable energy projects in Africa 

in collaboration with C-PREE at Princeton. We 

reviewed thousands of data entries from various 

databases to examine loans and investments 

from Chinese policy banks and foreign direct 

investment. After identifying gaps and 

limitations in current research, we interviewed 

24 experts from the United States, China, 

and multiple African nations. We compiled a 

report on the state of renewable energy and 

electrification in specific African countries and 

connected information from these interviews to 

existing literature. Our findings helped identify 

factors that push and pull finance for renewable 

energy in Africa. Through this experience, I 

improved my data analysis and visualization 

skills by using the programs Python, R, and 

Tableau to create diagrams from databases. I 

also refined my communication and qualitative 

analysis skills by contacting experts, conducting 

interviews, and summarizing findings. I hope 

to continue learning and working in this 

intersection of technology, public policy, and 

finance to advance renewable energy technology 

and access to electricity. 



71

Dave Singh ’24 

MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE 

ENGINEERING 


Engineering Physics, Robotics and Intelligent 

Systems 



PROJECT TITLE 

Calibrating the Chargeexchange 

Ion Energy 

Analyzer for the PFRC-2 



Laboratory 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Laboratory 

I helped calibrate the charge-exchange strippingcell 

ion energy analyzer (SC-IEA) designed for the 

Princeton Field Reverse Configuration 2 (PFRC-2) 

plasma device. Plasma diagnostics that measure 

the energy distribution of confined ions enable a 

better understanding of the working principles 

of the PFRC-2. However, since ions experience 

forces during their exit from the plasma, they 

lose crucial information of their original state. 

The SC-IEA foregoes this problem by first 

neutralizing ions and then analyzing the energy 

of these neutrals. To calibrate SC-IEA, each 

component must be individually tested to ensure 

every step of the diagnostic is well understood. I 

employed image analysis to measure the profile 

of the curved-plate energy analyzer and created 

a computer-aided design model to micron-level 

accuracy. Then, I applied the finite element 

method to simulate the electrostatic field and 

programmed a single particle simulation for 

the path of ions through the energy analyzer. 

After automating the code to sweep the possible 

ion energies, I compiled predictions for the 

output of the energy analyzer. Experimentally, 

I used a calibrated ion gun to test sample input 

conditions for the SC-IEA. The unique experience 

provided me with practical insights into how 

physics research and engineering projects 

complement each other. 

72

Callie Zheng ’24 


Certificates: Materials Science and Engineering, 

Sustainable Energy 

PROJECT TITLE 

Investigating Structure- 

Property Relations in 

Next-generation 

Chemically Recyclable 

Polyolefins 


Davidson Research 




University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Emily Davidson, Assistant 

Professor of Chemical and 

Biological Engineering; 

Shawn Maguire, 


Associate, Chemical and 

Biological Engineering 

I focused on understanding the material 

properties of a chemically recyclable polymer 

—poly(oligocyclobutane) (pDVOCB). Most 

chemically recyclable polymers require 

specialized synthesis methods and have inferior 

material properties compared to everyday 

plastics. In contrast, pDVOCB is derived 

from butadiene, which is a cheap, abundant 

commodity hydrocarbon feedstock, as well 

as a common hazardous emission from motor 

vehicles. My research focused on analyzing the 

fundamental material properties of pDVOCB 

and understanding its stability under harsh 

environmental conditions (e.g., elevated 

temperatures, high humidity, etc.). A deeper 

understanding of the material characteristics 

of pDVOCB should lead to the determination of 

appropriate processing conditions, which would 

allow for commercial applications with the added 

benefit of chemical recyclability. During this 

internship, I gained valuable experimental skills 

and insight into academic research and learned 

and utilized a multitude of complementary 

experimental techniques, including polarized 

optical microscopy, differential scanning 

calorimetry, dynamic mechanical analysis, 

and thermogravimetric analysis. This positive 

experience has impelled me to continue research 

in the form of a junior independent research 

project, and to look for further opportunities 

in materials science with the ultimate goal of 

helping to create a more sustainable world. 



73

Kalena Blake ’24 


AFFAIRS 


PROJECT TITLE 

Reducing Livestock 

Methane Emissions: A 

look at the Low Carbon 

Fuel Standard 



Fund (EDF) 

MENTOR(S) 

Joe Rudek, Lead Senior 

Scientist, EDF 

I researched California’s Low Carbon Fuel 

Standard (LCFS), which is a state policy 

designed to accelerate the transition to using 

fuels with lower carbon intensity in California’s 

transportation fuel pool. I studied the scientific 

literature on harnessing methane emissions and 

biofuels for energy. In addition, I researched the 

interaction between state and federal policies 

designed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 

such as the LCFS and the Renewable Fuel 

Standard. Finally, I examined the shortcomings 

of these policies and the validity of criticisms 

that have been leveraged by various stakeholders. 

My research provided insight into the future of 

the LCFS and fuel standards more broadly. This 

internship provided an invaluable experience 

to work with some of the foremost scientists, 

environmental lawyers, and climate activists in 

the field. The interdisciplinary nature of EDF’s 

approach to environmental issues introduced me 

to knowledge and skills that I will be able to apply 

throughout my studies at Princeton and beyond. 

SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 

74

David Chang ’25 



Mathematics 

PROJECT TITLE 

Farm Project Field 

Assistant 






LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Biology; Gina Talt, Food 

Systems Project 

Specialist, Office of 

Sustainability 

I studied how to optimize operations and 

agricultural output across five farms and 

an urban garden in New Jersey. Alongside 

three other interns, I collected daily crop 

measurements for various vegetables, monitored 

bug populations through insect traps, took 

soil samples, and measured plant height and 

diversity on a livestock farm. We took a hightech 

approach to our agricultural research by 

deploying Arable sensors containing multi-band 

spectrometers, infrared thermometers, and 

other technology. I helped analyze these data to 

assess growing conditions, crop coverage, and 

plant health. I also had the opportunity to fly a 

drone to take images of several grazing pastures, 

which I then analyzed using satellite data and 

geographic information system software QGIS 

and Sentera FieldAgent. These analyses provided 

information on the performance of pastures 

under different applied treatments. My most 

memorable – and favorite – part of the summer 

was collecting a dozen cow fecal samples to 

investigate their stomach microbiomes following 

their grazing of each pasture. This internship 

has inspired me to continue working toward 

a better and more sustainable world through 

research. I hope to continue applying high-tech 

and innovative ideas in critical fields of research, 

even when they may initially sound out of place. 

SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 

75

Lillian Fitzgerald ’25 


SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 

PROJECT TITLE 


Assistant 






LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 









I investigated agricultural issues within New 

Jersey farms. My team and I focused on three 

main projects: the affect of different farming 

practices on agricultural productivity; how 

soil amendments affect a field’s health, thus 

impacting the microbiome and weight of 

cattle that graze upon it; and the mutualistic 

relationships between the traditional Lenape 

“Three Sisters” mounding method – when three 

plants are grown together in one mound – and 

relationships in the community. My co-interns 

and I collected data for these projects by setting 

up insect traps, measuring crop yields, and 

monitoring plants using Arable sensors and 

drone footage. We also took measurements of 

the height and species diversity of different 

fields over time, and collected and weighed cow 

manure from cattle that grazed on different 

fields. We partnered with the Turtle Clan of the 

Lenape Tribe and prepared land to plant corn, 

beans, and squash in the traditional Three 

Sisters mounding method in order to study 

their mutualistic interactions. I gained valuable 

knowledge and skills pertaining to ecological 

fieldwork, data collection, and statistical 

analysis. My enjoyment doing fieldwork has 

solidified my desire to pursue ecology in my 

academic study and to major in Ecology and 

Evolutionary Biology. 

76

Jo Goldman ’25 


PROJECT TITLE 

Small-scale Fisheries Hub 



Fund (EDF) 

LOCATION(S) 

San Francisco, California 

MENTOR(S) 

Carlito Turner, Manager, 

Small-Scale Fisheries 

Initiatives, EDF 

The overall goal of my internship was to support 

ongoing projects for the Small-Scale Fishery 

Resource and Collaboration Hub (SSF Hub). 

My main responsibilities were to assist with 

social media management, design policy action 

toolkits, and to create an interview highlight. 

To help with social media promotion, I created 

many templates for the SSF Hub’s Instagram 

account and used them to advertise the photo 

contest held in honor of the International Year 

of Artisanal Fisheries and Aquaculture 2022. I 

also designed a policy action toolkit based on the 

SSF Hub’s women and gender webinar, and made 

templates for future toolkits. My third main 

project was to interview a younger fisherman 

from Costa Rica about his experience at the 

United Nations Oceans Conference in Portugal 

and post the interview as an article on the SSF 

Hub website. Through this internship, I had 

the opportunity to practice my graphic design 

skills as well as my skills in collaborating with a 

team. This experience has solidified my desire to 

pursue future academic studies in ecology and to 

pursue a career in ecological conservation. 

SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 

77

Matthew Pickering ’24 


AFFAIRS 

Certificate: History and the Practice of Diplomacy 

PROJECT TITLE 

Integrating Fisheries Into 

the Blue Economy 



Fund (EDF) 

LOCATION(S) 

San Francisco, California 

MENTOR(S) 

Christopher Cusack, 

Director, Oceans 

Technology Solutions, 

EDF 

I worked on a new project to outfit fishing vessels 

with sensors to collect oceanographic and 

meteorological data for a global ocean observing 

network. This was part of a larger effort to 

integrate fisheries into the blue economy (i.e., 

the sustainable use of ocean resources) and make 

sure that small-scale fisheries in particular do 

not fall behind modern technological standards. 

I spearheaded this project from EDF’s side. 

Much of my time was spent working on a white 

paper with other international oceanographers 

to detail the project’s history and goals. I also 

outlined terms of reference for the project. Lastly, 

I helped organize a series of three international 

workshops to bring together scientists, oceanobserving 

systems administrators, and industry 

stakeholders to craft a longer term strategy. I 

learned firsthand how collaborative the field 

of oceanography is, and I gained experience 

in research, scientific writing, and event 

organization. This internship has crystallized my 

desire to pursue a career in sustainability. 

SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 

78

Alec Pirone ’24 



Mathematics 

PROJECT TITLE 


Assistant 






LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 









As the population of the Earth increases rapidly, 

we are required to find ways to increase the 

amount of food that we are producing through 

agriculture. We collected data from various 

farms to determine the efficacy of various 

farming methods. Our data collection was part 

of a multiyear project that involved using Arable 

sensors, devices that provide measures of plant 

health, temperature, precipitation, and more. 

We also took measurements of vegetation on a 

cattle farm to determine the extent to which a 

certain soil amendment improves vegetation 

growth; this amendment may help us optimize 

the production of beef by reducing the amount 

of land needed for its production. We also used 

a drone to fly over the fields and collect data on 

overall plant health. I learned to use a statistical 

software called JMP to produce graphs of plant 

growth over time, while also considering factors 

such as rainfall and temperature. This internship 

made it clear to me that I am interested in 

conservation and sustainability related to food 

production, and I hope to study this further in 

the future. 

SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 

79

Ash Reddy ’25 


SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 

PROJECT TITLE 

Engineering Auxin Plant 

Hormone Degrading 

Bacteria for Improved 

Plant Growth and 

Productivity 


Conway Lab, 

Department of Chemical 



University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Jonathan Conway, 

Assistant Professor of 


Engineering 

I studied Variovorax, a bacterial genus that is 

part of a synthetic microbiome used to model 

the plant microbiome of natural soil. My project 

focused on the role of Variovorax in auxin 

degradation. Auxins are plant hormones that 

are produced and degraded by members of 

this synthetic microbial community. They can 

have various effects on plant development and 

immunity. Variovorax has been demonstrated 

to have a role in maintaining plant development 

by preventing root growth inhibition. I set 

up and maintained a plant assay to measure 

phenotypic differences with active and inactive 

versions of Variovorax along with the rest of the 

35-member synthetic microbial community. I 

started the assay from the point of germination 

and replicated it for three plant species. I learned 

about the vital role that the plant microbiome 

plays in plant development and immunity and 

gained experience in the specialized laboratory 

techniques required to manipulate the plant 

microbiome. I experienced the trial and 

error of research firsthand and gained a deep 

appreciation for the pursuit of knowledge. 

* This internship is connected to the HMEI Water 

and the Environment Grand Challenges project, 

“Probing Microbial Colonization of Plants During 

Drought to Enable Microbiome-Mediated Resilience 

in Crops.” 

80

Paige Silverstein ’24 



Mathematics, French Language and Culture 

PROJECT TITLE 

Climate-resilient Food 

Systems 


Climate Resilient Food 

Systems, Environmental 

Defense Fund (EDF) 

LOCATION(S) 

Austin, Texas 

MENTOR(S) 

Karly Kelso, Director, 

Climate Resilient Food 

Systems, EDF 

I worked on developing an accessible systems 

mapping toolkit for the Environmental Defense 

Fund’s (EDF) Climate Resilient Food Systems 

team. Food systems refer to all the elements 

involved in bringing food from the land and sea 

onto people’s plates. The global food system 

produces 33% of the world’s emissions, and, 

though we are currently producing 1.5 times 

the global dietary needs, there are still around 

750 million people around the globe that face 

hunger every day. For this reason, it is important 

to take a holistic approach to food challenges. 

Every food system is unique, and I hope the 

toolkit I developed will provide an easy-to-use 

tool that points people toward meaningful food 

system interventions and encourages community 

participation in the discussion of food system 

transformation. I also had the opportunity to 

support the team’s work to bring blue and aquatic 

food dialogue to high-level events such as the 

United Nations Ocean Conference. I learned 

so much and honed my research, writing, 

and communication skills through literature 

reviews, facilitating meetings, writing for a 

general audience, developing media cards and 

communication packets, and more. I am excited 

to continue my work with EDF throughout the 

fall. 

SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 

81

Sophia Stewart ’24 


AFFAIRS 

PROJECT TITLE 


Assistant 






LOCATION(S) 


Agricultural practices have a substantial 

impact on productivity and the environment. 

Developing agricultural practices that maximize 

productivity while minimizing environmental 

destruction is key to meeting the rapidly 

increasing global demand for food. Along with 

my co-interns, I studied five different organic 

New Jersey farms, and collected data about 

the growing conditions (e.g., solar radiation, 

insects, and precipitation) and the agricultural 

practices (e.g., no-till farming, cover cropping). 

In addition, we began an experiment to test the 

efficacy of a fertilizer in increasing productivity. 

We were able to draw conclusions about how 

some factors affected the crops and our data 

will be used to support the undergraduate 

course “Agriculture, Human Diets, and the 

Environment.” 

MENTOR(S) 

SUSTAINABLE 

FOOD SYSTEMS 









82

Jongnam Ahn ’25 

UNDECLARED 

URBAN 

SUSTAINABILITY 

PROJECT TITLE 

Computational 

Approaches in Norm 

Dynamics Analysis 


Behavioral Science for 

Policy Lab, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Elke Weber, Gerhard R. 

Andlinger Professor in 


Environment, Professor of 

Psychology and Public 

Affairs; Jordana 

Composto, Ph.D 

candidate, Psychology 

I developed and assessed computational 

approaches for norm identification in texts. 

Norms are informal rules and practices that 

guide the behavior of individuals, groups, and 

societies. Until now, the process of identifying 

norms in texts has been done manually by 

researchers, which limits the scope of norms 

that are identified and can therefore be studied. 

Our project’s end goal was to use computational 

tools to find a data-driven method that decreases 

the bias in labeling normative information in 

texts; this method could be widely applicable in 

the fields of psychology and public policy. My 

first responsibility was to scrape texts that dealt 

with the environment, as such texts were likely 

to contain norms. I familiarized myself with 

environmental, social, and governance reports 

and Task Force on Climate-Related Financial 

Disclosures documents from major companies 

and stakeholders. Our computational approaches 

were focused on supervised learning (training 

algorithms using labeled data), so I utilized 

crowdsourcing techniques to identify which of 

the collected texts were normative in order to 

build a training dataset. I gained substantial 

experience in the program R, and developed a 

newfound interest in data science and statistics. 

83

URBAN 


Delia Batdorff ’23 


ENGINEERING 

Certificates: Robotics and Intelligent Systems, 

Sustainable Energy 

PROJECT TITLE 

Analyzing Resilient 

Net-zero Energy Pathways 

Using Structured Risk 

Assessment 


Energy Systems Analysis 

Group, Andlinger Center 



University 

LOCATION(S) 


I worked to identify, evaluate, and research 

mitigation strategies for the risks associated with 

Net-Zero America, which is an effort to reach netzero 

emissions in the United States by 2050. Our 

internship group performed a risk assessment 

on two of the four pathways associated with 

Net-Zero America. We researched the various 

risks associated with a number of potential 

energy sources (e.g., solar, wind, nuclear, carbon 

capture and sequestration, and biomass). 

We then used a framework developed by the 

International Organization for Standardization 

to quantify and manage the risks associated 

with the two different pathways in order to 

identify which pathway had more extreme risks. 

I focused on researching the techno-industrial 

risks associated with each energy source. This 

included researching safety, mechanical, and 

construction risks. 

MENTOR(S) 

Chris Greig, Theodora D. 

’78 & William H. Walton III 

’74 Senior Research 

Scientist, Andlinger 


Environment; Richard 

Moss, Visiting Research 

Collaborator, Andlinger 


Environment 

84

Emeline Blohm ’25 


URBAN 


PROJECT TITLE 

Assessing Coastal 

Resiliency of New York 

City’s Urban Forest 


New York City Department 

of Parks and Recreation 

(NYC Parks) 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Tyler Gibson, Senior 

Forestor, NYC Parks; 

Ravneet Kaur, Senior 

Forestor, NYC Parks 

I studied the vulnerability of New York City’s 

urban forests to coastal factors such as highspeed 

winds, saltwater intrusion, and winddriven 

salt spray. I assisted in collecting tree 

health assessment data for 21 planted species 

in order to assess their suitability for planting 

in coastal areas. We randomly selected 10 trees 

of each species in areas along the coastline that 

are most at risk for saltwater flooding, and then 

designed a control group of 10 trees for each 

species further inland where they are at low risk 

of salt exposure. I performed over 500 individual 

tree assessments to collect data on the health and 

environmental tolerance of different tree species. 

From this, I gained substantial experience in 

tree identification, most particularly for the 

species we were studying directly. I participated 

in fieldwork planning, implementation, data 

collection, and data management. I cherished 

the opportunity to conduct well-focused field 

research that will directly inform species 

selection for tree planting. As I continue to 

study climate resiliency in an urban setting, I’m 

excited to explore how we can draw on a variety 

of resources and harness both engineering tools 

and nature-based solutions. 

85

URBAN 


Katherine Brubaker ’24 


AFFAIRS 

Certificate: Journalism 

PROJECT TITLE 

Power Industry Decision 

Making Processes Amid 

India's Energy Transition 


Behavioral Science for 

Policy Lab, Princeton 

University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Elke Weber, Gerhard R. 

Andlinger Professor in 


Environment, Professor of 

Psychology and Public 

Affairs; Pooja 

Ramamurthi, Ph.D. 

candidate, School of 

Public and International 

Affairs 

I aimed to understand organizational decisionmaking 

processes for India’s energy transition to 

renewable energy. I studied various organizations 

that are either part of civil society, the 

government, or private companies. Additionally, 

I focused on investigating the current role and 

status of coal within India. I interviewed 90 

individuals from various companies and asked 

questions about their company goals, their 

perceptions of the Indian power sector goals, and 

who they saw as power sector decision-makers. 

I transcribed these interviews into a final 

codebook, which encompasses a set of 33 themes 

divided into three overarching categories: 

drivers of coal phaseout, drivers for coal to 

remain, and moderating factors. A team of coders 

then analyzed the interviews to qualitatively 

identify them. The coders also documented 

interviewees’ perceptions of government, 

industry, civil society, and consumers. This 

research opportunity provided me with insight 

into how power industry companies view India’s 

energy transition, as well as how this transition 

is actively taking place. My experience has 

compelled me to pursue my own research on 

environmental topics, and to continue working 

with the Behavioral Science for Policy Lab this 

fall. 

86

Benjamin Finch ’23 


URBAN 


PROJECT TITLE 

Analyzing the Vulnerability 

and Financeability of 

Net-zero Emissions 

Scenarios 






University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 










Environment 

I contributed to two energy transition research 

projects. Firstly, I conducted a systematic risk 

assessment of two of the energy transition 

pathways modeled by the Net-Zero America 

(NZA) study. I determined criteria for the 

consequence and likelihood of different risk 

types by combing the literature for different 

risks, and then evaluated these risks. I also 

modeled the copper, lithium, and rare earth 

metal energy related demand for all of the 

NZA pathways. In my second research project, 

I examined potential capital shortages of an 

energy transition in the United States. This 

work involved determining the total and highrisk 

(pre-financial investment decision) annual 

capital requirements for each of the NZA project 

modeled pathways. Then, I compared these 

annual quantities of total capital and high-risk 

capital to current and projected clean technology 

capital expenditure in the United States by 

banks, conventional energy companies, utilities, 

and renewable energy companies. I honed my 

data-processing skills by building a computer 

program to process large sets of expenditure 

data, and also deepened my understanding of 

the mechanics of efficient energy transition 

pathways and the unprecedented capital 

requirements of these pathways. 

87

URBAN 


Noa Greenspan ’23 

ENGLISH 

Certificates: Creative Writing, Environmental 

Studies 

PROJECT TITLE 

Climate Story Incubator: 

Coastal Futures 


Environmental Media 

Lab, Effron Center for 

the Study of America 




The Coastal Futures project aims to tell audio 

stories about the impacts of sea level rise and 

flooding in East Coast communities, and more 

broadly, to relate how community members 

view their coastal identities and futures. I 

worked from my home region of southeastern 

Virginia, where I wrote and produced two stories 

for the project. The first examined the city’s 

history of displacement through the story of a 

public housing unit in Norfolk that is currently 

being replaced by flood-resilient, mixedincome 

housing. The second explored clashing 

perspectives of Virginia Beach’s nonnative palm 

trees and the city’s identity as a tourist town. 

LOCATION(S) 


Virginia Beach, Virginia 

MENTOR(S) 

Allison Carruth, Professor 

of American Studies and 

the High Meadows 


Diana Little, Ph.D. 

candidate, English; Kyra 

Morris, Ph.D. candidate, 

English; Gemma Sahwell, 


Geosciences 

88

Celine Ho ’25 


Certificate: Global Health and Health Policy 

URBAN 


PROJECT TITLE 










LOCATION(S) 

Calcasieu Parish, 

Louisiana; Princeton, New 

Jersey 

MENTOR(S) 










Geosciences 

I studied the health implications of hurricanes 

and floods along the Eastern Seaboard. I focused 

on Hepatitis A, a viral infection that attacks 

the liver. Hepatitis A is commonly transmitted 

via the consumption of contaminated food or 

water, and such transmission often spikes after 

flooding events and other natural disasters. The 

high development of agricultural areas across the 

Eastern Seaboard followed the average trajectory 

of hurricanes from 2005 to 2021. The purpose 

of my research was to use scholarly findings of 

Hepatitis A patterns as a control variable for 

different locations, to unveil external factors 

of social disparities that result from a natural 

disaster. The goal was to identify how different 

communities respond to extreme weather events 

and environmental changes in hyper-localized 

areas. I worked with members of Columbia 

University’s Mailman School of Public Health, 

Massachusetts General Hospital, and residents 

in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, who have been 

directly devastated by hurricanes. I learned that 

the repercussions of hurricanes are complex and 

everlasting. From immediate health onsets to 

crowding responses in shelters, climate disasters 

are multilayered. These problems ask us to 

rethink and reconnect issues of human health 

and climate even at the most microscopic levels. 

89

URBAN 


Lena Hoplamazian ’24 

HISTORY 

Certificate: Architecture and Engineering 

PROJECT TITLE 

“Cleaning Up”: Case 

Studies on Environmental 

Remediation in New York 

City 


The Architectural League 

of New York 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Mariana Mogilevich, 

Editor-in-Chief, The 

Architectural League of 

New York; Joshua 

McWhirter, Managing 

Editor, The Architectural 

League of New York 

I worked on the “Cleaning Up” series for the 

Urban Omnibus publication; a collection of 

features looking at toxic spaces, pollution, and 

environmental remediation in New York City. 

My project centered around researching and 

developing illustrated case studies, which are 

illustrations representing “before” and “after” 

stories of heavily polluted and remediated 

sites in the New York City area. Researching 

the information for the case studies helped me 

hone my research skills, but taking the details 

and deciding how to visually represent them 

to tell a story was the truly unique part of this 

internship, and the aspect that most challenged 

me. After years of honing my communication 

skills with words, it was a great opportunity 

to communicate with visuals. This internship 

enabled me to explore the intersection of urban 

space and the environment, and to look closely 

at how pollution, toxicity, and communal efforts 

to heal environmental damage interact in the 

city. It renewed my commitment to the urban 

environment, a long-time interest and passion 

of mine. I was also immersed in the architecture 

world, working out of The Architectural League 

office, which made me even more excited to 

continue my coursework and research in the 

Architecture and Engineering certificate 

program. 

90

Alexandra Jerdee ’25 


URBAN 


PROJECT TITLE 

Urban Tree Cover 

Distributions Associated 

With Aggregate 

Development and Social 

Hierarchies: A Case Study 

of the City of Pune, India 


Urban Nexus Lab, 




University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Anu Ramaswami, Sanjay 

Swani ’87 Professor of 

India Studies, Professor 



Institute for International 

and Regional Studies and 



Bhartendu Pandey, 

Associate Professional 

Specialist, Department of 


Engineering 

My work in examined urban tree cover disparities 

in relation to developmental indicators in 146 

neighborhoods in the city of Pune, India. Urban 

tree cover refers to the area covered under a 

tree’s canopy in an urban area. This metric has 

been shown to shape environmental and human 

health outcomes. The topic of urban tree cover 

distribution disparities in the Global South has 

been relatively understudied. I used a random 

forest machine learning model and satellite 

images to derive a map of urban tree cover in 

Pune in the R programming language. I also used 

principal component analysis applied to public 

infrastructure and private assets ownership 

datasets to assess development levels across 

neighborhoods, which I examined alongside my 

urban tree cover data. Thanks to the guidance 

and encouragement from my mentors, I gained 

a better understanding of multidimensional 

inequalities in Indian cities, and I honed 

many technical skills that are transferable to 

my broader academic interests. I now have 

greater competency in the programs Python, 

R, and some GIS softwares, as well as increased 

confidence in my academic reading and writing. 

91

URBAN 


Ben Knell ’25 


ENGINEERING 

PROJECT TITLE 

Climate and Conflict: 

Understanding and 

Responding to Strategic 

Risk 


Empirical Studies of 

Conflict, School of Public 



LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Jacob Shapiro, 

Professor of Politics and 

International Affairs, 


International Affairs; 

Ulrich Eberle, Visiting 

Research Collaborator, 



I analyzed the intersection of climate change and 

conflict in various regions of interest around the 

world. Climate change often exacerbates existing 

tensions, thus contributing to conflict via food 

insecurity and displacement. One of my central 

tasks was to assess potential climate risks. I 

studied the findings of the Intergovernmental 

Panel on Climate Change and various scientific 

publications to create a broader picture of 

the impacts of climate change in each region. 

I then assessed how each aspect of climate 

change could impact conflict and displacement 

based on each region’s present challenges and 

resources. Over the course of this internship, 

I learned about the process by which research 

and data become policy, and also had the 

chance to be activelt involved in this process. 

For instance, when Future of Conflict Director 

Robert Blecher was called upon as an expert in 

a congressional hearing on conflict and climate 

change, I was able to contribute to the speech 

and preparatory materials. This internship has 

taught me both the intrinsic importance of data 

and the importance of being able to put it into 

context through interdisciplinary analysis. In 

my future studies, I plan to explore statistics 

and interdisciplinary courses related to climate 

change. 

92

Ethan Magistro ’24 

PHILOSOPHY 

Certificates: Environmental Studies, History and 

the Practice of Diplomacy 

URBAN 


PROJECT TITLE 

Analyzing Resilient 

Net-zero Energy Pathways 

Using Structured Risk 

Assessment 






University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 










Environment 

I identified and evaluated risks to the United 

States’ aim of attaining net-zero emissions by 

2050. My team and I applied a structured risk 

assessment framework based on the ISO 31000 

risk management standard to two pathways 

developed in detail by the Princeton Net- 

Zero America (NZA) study. We first created 

a research framework that divided risks into 

societal, techno-industrial, and environmental 

categories. We then identified, analyzed, and 

evaluated potential execution failures and 

climate resilience risks of technologies deployed 

in NZA. We identified and ranked over 700 risks 

facing the United States’ transition to net-zero, 

including risks related to climate resilience 

and social and political opposition. Through 

this project, I developed the ability to conduct 

robust risk assessment, and I cultivated skills 

in identifying political and legal challenges as 

well as environmental, social, and corporate 

governance risks. I also increased my familiarity 

with international trade and supply chain 

management. Our work has further put into 

perspective how extreme the challenge of 

mitigating climate change is for the United 

States. I hope our findings will serve as a call to 

action for business and government stakeholders 

on the need to mitigate key risks as they pursue 

the transition to net zero. 

93

URBAN 


Krishna Parikh ’25 


ENGINEERING 

PROJECT TITLE 

Global Health 

Communications Intern 


One Health Trust (OHT) 

MENTOR(S) 

Ramanan Laxminarayan, 

Founder and Director, 

OHT, Senior Research 

Scholar, High Meadows 



Erta Kalanxhi, Research 

Fellow, OHT; Geetanjali 

Kapoor, Head of South 

Asia, OHT; Siddhi Lama, 

Science Communications 

Associate; Samantha 

Serrano, Science 

Communications 

Manager, OHT 

One Health Trust (OHT) was previously 

recognized as the Center for Disease Dynamics, 

Economics, and Policy. The renaming 

emphasizes the importance of One Health 

and the interconnectedness between humans, 

animals, and the environment in solving 

public and global health issues. I assisted with 

this transition through image processing, 

compression, and search engine optimization. 

I also contributed to communications by 

writing weekly digest posts that provided an 

overview of health updates. My knowledge 

on antimicrobial resistance grew, as I wrote 

a summary on its status in Africa and helped 

summarize tables for a continental summary on 

the subject. I researched regenerative agriculture 

and compiled information on companies and 

organizations adopting the practice in Nepal 

and India. I reached out to these organizations 

to gain information on their specific agricultural 

techniques in order to develop a better 

understanding of sustainability efforts in such 

areas. Overall, the internship opened my eyes 

to the amount of behind-the-scenes work that is 

necessary to allow a group like OHT to function. 

I am now more assured of my interest in public 

health and policy, especially computational 

epidemiology. 

94

Shlok Patel ’25 


URBAN 


PROJECT TITLE 

How Happy Are People in 

Different Cities in the 

United States and India? 


Urban Nexus Lab, 




University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Anu Ramaswami, Sanjay 

Swani ’87 Professor of 

India Studies, Professor 




and Regional Studies and 



Kirti Das, Associate 

Professional Specialist, 


Engineering 

I worked on three main projects related to the 

Urban Nexus Lab’s goal of advancing sustainable, 

healthy, and equitable cities via knowledge 

coproduction and connecting multiple sectors 

across spatial scales with multiple societal 

outcomes. First, I helped advance the process 

of using scalable nondestructive methods to 

measure tree carbon storage and sequestration 

in Indian cities. I worked with light detection 

and ranging scanning and learned the value 

of conserving urban greenery to offset carbon 

emissions. More generally, this project helped 

me understand the need for more foundational 

research related to remote sensing and 

geographical information in other countries 

due to technological limitations. Secondly, 

I helped create land cover datasets through 

ArcGIS, a geographic information system, which 

helped train and validate machine learning 

models that improve remote sensing methods 

in India. This was crucial to introducing me to 

Urban Tree Canopy research, which nourished 

my interest for the third project: a research 

proposal studying the effects of the Urban Tree 

Canopy on subjective well-being. I found the 

proposal writing process extremely fruitful, 

as it introduced me to independent research 

and informed me on the myriad of ways that 

environmental research can directly and 

immediately impact modern society. 

95

URBAN 


Magdalena Poost ’23 

ANTHROPOLOGY 

Certificates: Creative Writing, Environmental 

Studies, Theater 

PROJECT TITLE 










LOCATION(S) 

Lambertville, New Jersey; 


MENTOR(S) 










Geosciences 

I conducted ethnographic research on the city 

of Lambertville, New Jersey, to understand how 

the community has experienced the recovery 

process from flooding caused by Hurricane Ida 

in fall 2021. As coastal communities across the 

world suffer and learn from intensifying weather 

events due to the climate emergency, scientists 

and artists are beginning to search for alternative 

modes of storytelling to communicate what is 

lost and what is learned, beyond simple disaster 

narratives. My project aimed to use the medium 

of audio narratives to investigate, document, 

and produce stories about lived experiences of 

extreme weather and changing environmental 

conditions in specific coastal communities in the 

mid-Atlantic. I interviewed residents, business 

owners, and medical professionals who were 

personally affected by Hurricane Ida. Recordings 

of my interviews were produced as one part 

in a series of such stories created by fellow 

interns. The experience of engaging with climate 

activism through an on-the-ground approach to 

art making has informed how I am conceiving my 

thesis work and future project aspirations. I plan 

to continue combining ethnography, ecology, 

and art to make pieces that help communicate 

the nuances of the climate nexus. 

96

Riya Singh ’23 


AFFAIRS 


URBAN 


PROJECT TITLE 

Climate Resilient Coasts 

and Watersheds 



Fund (EDF) 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Kate Boicourt, Director, 

Climate Resilient Coasts 

and Watersheds, New 

York- New Jersey, EDF 

My internship focused on supporting the 

Environmental Defense Fund's (EDF) efforts to 

spread the word on the Clean Water, Clean Air, 

and Green Jobs Bond Act, which is on the New 

York general elections ballot. EDF participates 

in the Clean Water and Jobs Coalition, which 

builds voter support for the Act. I contributed 

by identifying and reaching out to community 

groups that could share materials to voters, 

especially in historically underserved 

neighborhoods. I also worked on a collaborative 

research project in which I examined New York’s 

storm recovery programs to understand how 

they incorporate green infrastructure. I analyzed 

policy documents to pinpoint barriers and 

opportunities to utilizing green infrastructure in 

making homes more resilient to natural disasters. 

I gained insight into not only the science of 

coastal resilience and green infrastructure but 

also into how environmental campaigns are run. 

I also learned how 501(c)(3) nonprofits like EDF 

navigate the legal restrictions surrounding their 

advocacy when crafting campaign language. 

Moving forward, I’m interested in researching 

the Bond Act for my senior thesis; specifically, I 

want to explore voter behavior for the Act across 

community demographics. 

97

URBAN 


Chiara Vilna-Santos ’24 

ARCHITECTURE 

Certificate: Urban Studies 

PROJECT TITLE 

Building Capacity for 

Neighborhood 

Sustainability in New 

Orleans 


Broad Community 

Connections 

LOCATION(S) 

New Orleans, Louisiana 

MENTOR(S) 

Dasjon Jordan, 

Executive Director, Broad 

Community Connections; 

Chris Daemmrich, Visiting 

Assistant Professor, 

Phyllis M. Taylor Center 

for Social Innovation and 

Design Thinking, Tulane 

University 

I created a series of scenes that imagined what 

the future of New Orleans could look like in terms 

of stormwater management. My co-intern and 

I prepared this work with the idea that it would 

then be compiled into a small booklet that would 

be distributed to the community. The goal of 

this project was not to prescribe a specific plan 

for people to follow. Rather, by creating personal 

stories that community members could see 

themselves in, readers might find inspiration 

and build agency when it comes to their own 

relationship with stormwater management. 

Our work was primarily collage-based, using 

construction paper, hand drawings, and cutouts 

from local magazines and newspapers. We 

pulled from archives and stories that centered 

around New Orleans history to inform our stories 

and ground them in reality. In addition, we 

regularly met with community members, artists, 

community organizers, and educators to learn 

from them, listen to their stories, and receive 

feedback on our work. I learned how to organize 

workshops and structure effective feedback 

sessions. I met with a number of nontraditional 

architects and was inspired to think differently 

about how architects and planners can build for 

or with communities. 

98

Justin Zhang ’24 


Certificate: Visual Arts 

URBAN 


PROJECT TITLE 

Building Capacity for 

Neighborhood 

Sustainability in New 

Orleans 


Broad Community 

Connections 

LOCATION(S) 

New Orleans, Louisiana 

MENTOR(S) 

Dasjon Jordan, 

Executive Director, Broad 

Community Connections; 

Chris Daemmrich, Visiting 

Assistant Professor, 

Phyllis M. Taylor Center 

for Social Innovation and 

Design Thinking, Tulane 

University 

I researched the rich history, culture, and 

power of the historically Black neighborhoods 

in the Broad Community Connections 

(BCC) service area, as well as the socioenvironmental 

challenges they face. My cointern 

and I conducted regular meetings and led 

presentations and workshops with community 

members, organizations, leaders and educators, 

among others. We listened to and read countless 

stories that spanned the inception of New 

Orleans to the present day. From our research, 

we produced a zine — a small booklet containing 

artwork and stories — about an imagined future 

of the BCC neighborhoods. The zine is intended 

to be copied and circulated throughout the 

community and to serve as an educational tool 

that prompts residents to see, imagine, and 

invest in a sustainable future. We also hope to 

bring publicity to the work of BCC and various 

environmental, health, educational, and 

commercial revitalization efforts in the area. I 

learned about the power of grassroots organizing, 

trust building, and genuine investment in 

community spaces and assets. Learning about 

the tragic pitfalls of engineering, planning, and 

design through this hands-on experience was 

alarming. I found that we have a responsibility to 

approach these fields more holistically, critically, 

and with more empathy and engagement toward 

communities to ensure a just and equitable 

future. 

99

Juan Pablo Alvarado ’23 


Certificate: Materials Science and Engineering 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Clay-Aginate Mixture as a 

Proxy for Mineral-Oganic 

Interactions in Soils 


Interfacial Water Group, 




University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Ian C. Bourg, Associate 



Engineering and the High 


Institute; Avery Agles, 

Ph.D. candidate, Chemical 


Engineering 

The goal of my internship was to explore the 

impact of the coupling of biofilms and clay on 

the sedimentary and rheological properties of 

an aqueous solution. Clay amounts to a large 

percentage of sediment throughout the world and 

there is a need to understand the fundamental 

properties of clay that dictate its flow. It is 

thought that natural organic matter impacts 

the properties of clay that dictate flow. The 

goal of my research was to provide insight and 

preliminary findings to better understand this 

phenomenon. To achieve this goal, I read relevant 

literature on the research surrounding the topic, 

created a protocol for my experimental work, 

and used the Anton Paar MCR 501 rheometer 

to perform measurements. Doing this work, 

however, has made me realize that I would like to 

transition into environmental justice and focus 

on a direct connection between society and the 

environment. Although I have been passionate 

about my work, I have recently been inspired to 

pursue an interdisciplinary approach to climate 

change in my future endeavors. 

100

Camila Cabrera Martinez ’24 


PROJECT TITLE 

Assessing Water Quality 

With the StreamWatch 

Bacterial Action Team 



LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Jian Smith, StreamWatch 

Program Coordinator, The 

Watershed Institute; 





I worked to monitor and assess water quality 

and stream health throughout central New 

Jersey. I processed weekly water samples from 

different bodies of water, tested for E. coli and 

general coliform bacteria, tested nutrient levels 

(phosphate, nitrate, and chloride) and turbidity, 

and took phycocyanin readings to test for harmful 

algal blooms. I used the results from these tests 

to evaluate and score the samples for each site 

in three five-week sessions according to The 

Watershed Institute’s framework for water quality 

assessment and the New Jersey Department of 

Environmental Protection’s surface water quality 

standards. I used these guidelines to develop 

formulas in Excel to convert individual numerical 

results into an overall score for each parameter for 

every site; a process that had previously been done 

manually. Additionally, I used ArcGIS software to 

create and publish a dashboard, displaying all test 

results on a map, and created graphs to visualize 

trends in the E. coli and nutrient levels throughout 

the summer. I gained both field and lab experience, 

learned a lot about the different factors that 

influence the health of our waterways, and became 

proficient in several methods of data analysis and 

distribution. 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

101

Ashley Cao ’23 



WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Understanding Watershed 

Processes in Complex 

Terrain: Mountain 

Hydrology at Snodgrass 

Hillslope 


Integrated GroundWater 

Modeling Center, 




University 

LOCATION(S) 




MENTOR(S) 

Reed Maxwell, Professor 




Institute; Jackson Swilley, 

Ph.D. candidate, Civil and 


Engineering 

I studied the hydrology of Snodgrass Hillslope, 

a well-studied and representative headwater 

catchment for the Upper Colorado River Basin 

located within the East River Watershed. In 

the context of climate change, it is increasingly 

crucial that we understand the hydrologic 

processes of watersheds that feed major water 

sources like the Colorado River; this knowledge 

will help us address issues of drought in the 

Western United States. Through daily field 

work, I measured soil moisture, conducted 

infiltrometer tests, monitored tensiometer 

readings, and updated meteorological towers 

with new loggers. Additionally, I assisted in the 

installation of a weir plate onto an abandoned 

flume. I gained skills in vegetative identification, 

and improved my working-knowledge of GIS, 

GPS, Python, and ParFlow-CLM. I met with 

hydrologists studying the East River Watershed 

and had the opportunity to sit-in on their 

fieldwork, where I learned about stream gauging 

and water sampling. I am pursuing an extension 

of this research for both my senior thesis and 

the American Geophsyical Union. My thesis will 

combine this summer field data with hydrologic 

modeling skills to examine the effects of different 

climate change scenarios on the vegetative 

makeup of the Snodgrass Hillslope, and thereby 

predict potential changes to water availability 

downstream. 

102

Jane Castleman ’24 


Certificates: Environmental Studies, Technology 

and Society 

PROJECT TITLE 

The Interface of Hydrology 

and Machine Learning: 

Generating Better 

Information for Decisionmakers 

and Educating the 

Decision-makers of the 

Future 







University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Institute; Lisa Gallagher, 

Education and Outreach 

Manager, High Meadows 


Estimating water table depth (WTD) across 

the contiguous United States is important in 

providing reliable information to water decisionmakers 

and producing inputs for predictive 

models. WTD predictions are increasingly being 

performed via machine learning to reduce 

the computational expense of using physicsbased 

models. For my project, I compared the 

effectiveness of using observational data as 

opposed to simulated data as the input for 

machine learning models. I then tested the 

ability of the machine learning model to predict 

WTD with different sets of training and testing 

data. Each set of data consisted of averaged data 

from one week of observations. Overall, using 

observational data for the prediction of WTD 

could be a promising method for generating 

reliable information about WTD for water 

management and climate futures. Another 

project goal was to inform the water decisionmakers 

of the future. To do this, we developed 

and implemented a water and climate academy 

for local high schoolers. In this program, we 

taught students the mathematical fundamentals 

of machine learning, its basis in pattern 

recognition, and the importance of good data in 

machine learning. 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

103

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Data-intensive Analysis of 

the Climate-Water Crisis 

in India 


NITSAN Sustainable 

Development Lab, 

Tel Aviv University 

LOCATION(S) 

Tel Aviv, Israel 

MENTOR(S) 

Ram Fishman, Senior 

Lecturer (With Tenure), 

Public Policy, Tel Aviv 

University 

Max Gonzalez Saez-Diez ’23 


AFFAIRS 

Certificates: Applications of Computing, Statistics 

and Machine Learning 

My internship investigated how climate change 

and its consequences — water scarcity, food 

insecurity, etc., — are impacting the lives of 

many people in Karnataka, India. I worked with 

Ram Fishman, whose lab recently compiled a 

novel dataset containing detailed atmospheric 

information on hundreds of villages in Karnataka 

for the period between 2011 and 2016. The dataset 

also contains daily information on the number and 

types of crimes that were committed during that 

timeframe. I worked on cleaning up the dataset, 

which initially contained over 10 million entries. 

My co-intern and I also examined the interaction 

between food production and prices and crimes 

(e.g., murders, suicides, and crimes against women) 

in Karnataka. Beyond learning more about data 

scrubbing and data analysis in the programs R, 

Stata, and Python, this internship has convinced 

me that I want to pursue graduate school. I am 

deeply grateful for this summer’s experience: it not 

only gave me tools and techniques to advance my 

academic career, but also allowed me to develop 

as a person by giving me the opportunity to live in 

Israel and talk, debate, and collaborate with people 

from a completely different background. 

104

Kelvin Green ’24 


Certificates: Engineering Physics, Sustainable 

Energy 

PROJECT TITLE 

Electrophoretic and 

Dielectric Spectroscopy 

Properties of Individual 

Clay Nanoparticles in 

Liquid Water 


Interfacial Water Group, 




University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Ian Bourg, Associate 





Institute; Thomas 

Underwood, Postdoctoral 

Research Associate, Civil 


Engineering; Xinyi Shen, 



Engineering 

I worked to tune a coarse-grained model of 

an aqueous clay nanoparticle surrounded 

by sodium counterions. Previous studies of 

clay nanoparticles have relied on all-atom 

molecular dynamics simulations, which are 

computationally expensive to run. In contrast, 

this new coarse-grained model is simpler and 

can run much faster, which allows us to probe 

physics on longer timescales. One application 

is the investigation of the low frequency limit 

of the dielectric susceptibility spectrum of clay. 

Dielectric susceptibility refers to the ability of 

a material to polarize under an applied electric 

field. Previous studies have been unable to 

examine the low frequency limit because of 

the relatively long timescales required. My 

role was to develop scripts to calculate the 

net current of the system (from which the 

dielectric susceptibility spectrum could be 

obtained), to tune parameters governing the 

diffusion of sodium ions and clay particles, and 

to investigate unexpected discrepancies in the 

sodium ion density profile. I gained experience 

in running molecular dynamics simulations on 

computer clusters, analyzing simulation data, 

and referencing other studies in the scientific 

literature. Overall, this internship has motivated 

me to pursue research in STEM related to 

sustainability. 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

105

Reese Knopp ’24 


ENGINEERING 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Microfluidics for 

Sustainability: Liquid 

Entrapment and 

Diffusiophoresis in Action 


Complex Fluids 

Group, Department 

of Mechanical and 

Aerospace Engineering, 


LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 

Howard Stone, Donald R. 

Dixon ’69 and Elizabeth W. 

Dixon Professor of 

Mechanical and 

Aerospace Engineering; 

Samantha McBride, 


Associate and Presidential 


Fellow, Mechanical and 


Fernando Temprano-Coleto, 


Associate, Andlinger Center 


Environment 

I studied the mechanisms of liquid entrapment 

in a porous micro-channel for amine scrubbing 

carbon capture, a process that can be applied 

to various environmental, industrial, and 

research applications. Innovations in this 

area include using liquid-infused surfaces 

to decrease the footprint of carbon capture 

towers, though concerns persist regarding the 

stability of the liquid within the micro-textured 

surface. I used an analogous fluorinated oil/ 

water system to evaluate the ways viscosity, 

velocity, and geometry affect the retention of 

liquid within pores in a quasi-one-dimensional 

system. As part of the research, I fabricated 

polydimethylsiloxane microfluidic devices, 

used a microscopic imaging system to visualize 

the process, and used the programs MATLAB 

and ImageJ to extract and visualize data. This 

internship provided substantial experience 

on collaborating in a lab space, performing 

analysis, and managing experiments. I had the 

opportunity to utilize auxiliary engineering 

skills such as CAD modeling and 3D printing, 

and to interact with professionals through 

workshops. I also gained exposure to other 

advanced scientific tools and procedures by 

assisting with associated experiments related to 

sustainable, nontoxic anti-scaling coatings. This 

experience has transformed my understanding 

of the pursuit of cutting-edge knowledge and 

I am excited to explore this further in future 

independent projects. 

106

Ezra Osofsky ’23 

ECONOMICS 

PROJECT TITLE 

Data-intensive Analysis of 

the Climate-Water Crisis 

in India 


NITSAN Sustainable 

Development Lab, 

Tel Aviv University 

LOCATION(S) 

Tel Aviv, Israel 

MENTOR(S) 

Ram Fishman, Senior 

Lecturer (With Tenure), 

Public Policy, Tel Aviv 

University 

I used a detailed dataset of crimes in Karnataka, 

India, to determine the impact of both climate 

and crop prices on criminal activity. I worked 

with Professor Fishman, who studies issues at 

the intersection of the environment, agriculture, 

and economy of India. The theoretical basis 

for our research is that crop prices – which are 

affected by the weather – impact the incomes of 

both consumers and producers, and this in turn 

impacts incentives around criminal activity. This 

weather has both a direct (physiological) and an 

indirect impact on crime. This is particularly 

important in the context of global warming, as 

weather becomes both hotter and more volatile. 

My co-intern and I compiled, cleaned, analyzed, 

and summarized data, and then communicated 

our findings. The skill I developed the most 

through this project was how to succinctly and 

clearly distill ideas into simple visual and verbal 

formats. This increased my confidence in my 

research and data analysis skills and helped me 

narrow my interest with regard to working with 

data. 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

107

Akhil Paulraj ’25 



Mathematics, Statistics and Machine Learning 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

The Interface of Hydrology 

and Machine Learning: 

Generating Better 

Information for Decisionmakers 

and Educating the 

Decision-makers of the 

Future 







University 

LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 





Institute; Lisa Gallagher, 

Education and Outreach 

Manager, High Meadows 


Groundwater is an increasingly important 

water resource, especially as drought and 

climate change make other sources of water 

more scarce. Mapping water table depth (WTD) 

and understanding the sensitivities of input 

parameters to WTD are of great use for decisionmaking, 

as well as hydrological modeling. As 

part of my project, I develop a deep learning 

emulator to predict steady-state WTD across 

the contiguous United States. I focused on 

exploring the relationships between WTD, 

hydraulic conductivity, and precipitation minus 

evapotranspiration. I created uncertainty 

distributions for the aforementioned variables 

by injecting Gaussian noise into the emulator, 

which enables an assessment of input parameter 

sensitivities. As I continue working on this 

project, my long-term goal is to calibrate the 

simulated steady-state WTD map to observation 

data using simulation-based inference to create 

an improved, continuous map of WTD that 

better matches field observations. Through 

this opportunity, I gained confidence in my 

practical understanding of machine learning, 

and I am now aware of the diverse ways in which 

machine learning can be applied to different 

scientific challenges. I also enjoyed teaching at 

The Watershed Institute’s Water and Climate 

Academy; it was a fulfilling and enriching 

experience that reinforced my passion for 

service. 

108

Isabel Rodrigues ’23 

GEOSCIENCES 


PROJECT TITLE 

Understanding Watershed 

Processes in Complex 

Terrain: Mountain 

Hydrology at Snodgrass 

Hillslope 







University 

LOCATION(S) 




MENTOR(S) 





Institute; Jackson Swilley, 



Engineering 

I studied the hydrologic characteristics of 

Snodgrass Hillslope, a high-altitude region in 

the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. This area is 

representative of other mountainous watersheds 

in the Western United States, and studying 

it has helped better inform models of water 

availability in the West. I assisted in the design 

and deployment of a multistep field campaign, 

extending a study that has been ongoing since 

2018. My co-intern and I selected and mapped 

out two areas of study (one at higher altitude and 

another at lower altitude), translated the digital 

map we created to the physical site using a highprecision 

GPS, and completed a month-long, 

daily soil moisture study. We also applied several 

updates to the group’s three climate towers, 

including adding new sensors and solar panels. 

Finally, we installed a weir on a local stream, 

allowing us to measure changes to streamflow 

throughout the year. Simultaneously, I developed 

and proposed a long-term project that will 

investigate the effects of tree mortality on water 

circulation in this region. I'm grateful to have 

had this opportunity and am excited to continue 

working on this project in the fall. 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

109

Ethan Sontarp ’24 

GEOSCIENCES 


WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Anthropogenic Impacts on 

Fluvial Organic-carbon 

Transport in Different 

Climates 


Molecular Environmental 

Geochemistry Group, 

Department of 


University 

LOCATION(S) 


Albaquerque, New 

Mexico; El Paso, Texas 

MENTOR(S) 

Satish Myneni, Professor 

of Geosciences; Jianshu 

Duan, Ph.D. candidate, 

Geosciences 

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) serves as a 

key component in the global carbon cycle: it 

transports organic carbon from land to ocean, 

while also facilitating the mobilization of toxic 

metals and environmental pollutants. The 

composition of DOM is highly variable and 

susceptible to alteration by microbial activity, 

chemical reactions caused by sunlight, and 

binding to minerals. Thus, anthropogenic 

disturbances to the surface water supply may 

modify the distribution and reactivity of its 

organic carbon. The comparison of DOM quality 

in varying climatic regions could improve our 

understanding of how human environmental 

manipulation and a changing climate exacerbate 

water quality issues. I designed a field and 

laboratory investigation of DOM, taking stream 

and irrigation water samples along rivers in 

temperate New Jersey and in the semi-arid 

Middle Rio Grande of New Mexico and Texas. I 

tested water samples for the amount of organic 

carbon present, the composition of various 

reactive chemical groups, and the similarity 

to source waters. I learned how to coordinate 

a successful fieldwork expedition to answer a 

research question, and I had the opportunity 

to connect with brilliant researchers at other 

institutions. I look forward to continue gaining 

firsthand experience with the complex global 

issues I learn about in class. 

110

Mariko Storey-Matsutani ’25 

MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGINEERING 

Certificate: Robotics and Intelligent Systems 

PROJECT TITLE 











LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 
















Environment 

My research focused on a novel method for 

microplastic particle separation that employs 

diffusiophoresis – the spontaneous migration of 

particles that are suspended in a solute with a 

concentration gradient. Diffusiophoretic particle 

separation offers a promising alternative to 

traditional filtration methods, which are hindered 

by energy inefficiency, high pumping costs, and 

membrane fouling. In my experiments, I used 

microfluidic channels to flow particle solutions 

through an induced CO 2 

ion concentration gradient. 

I then used fluorescence microscopy and image 

analysis programs such as ImageJ and MATLAB 

to investigate the maximum particle exclusion 

zone width as affected by variation in the solution 

flow rate, CO 2 

gas pressure, and microplastic 

particle diameter. Beyond this primary research 

objective, I contributed to microfluidic experiments 

investigating pore entrapment with applications in 

CO 2 

capture technology, and I proposed new ideas 

for microplastic particle separation that combines 

diffusiophoresis, inertial focusing, and pore 

entrapment. In addition to the further development 

of my technical and interpersonal skills, this 

internship enlightened me in how research can 

tackle real-world problems and has inspired me 

to continue to pursue my interest in sustainable 

innovation. 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

111

Natalie Swope ’24 

ECONOMICS 


WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Water Conservation 

Through Landscape Design 

in the Upper Gallatin River 

Watershed 


Gallatin River Task Force 

LOCATION(S) 

Big Sky, Montana 

MENTOR(S) 

Emily O’Connor, 

Conservation Director, 

Gallatin River Task Force 

I worked to advance Gallatin River Task Force’s 

(GRTF) recently developed Big Sky Water 

Conservation and Drought Management Plan. 

This plan is a community initiative to protect the 

streams and tributaries within the Upper Gallatin 

River Watershed, safeguard the community’s 

drinking water supply, and build resilience to 

climate change. I began by researching existing 

initiatives in similar communities and best 

practices around integrating water efficiency 

into land use planning. I compiled data from 

local stakeholders to document challenges and 

identify opportunities for further collaboration 

with GRTF. I drafted new landscape design 

guidelines for two homeowner’s associations; 

these guidelines incorporate principles from 

water wise, fire wise, and native plant land use 

design. GRTF will use my draft to create a set of 

comprehensive guidelines that any homeowner 

or homeowner association in Big Sky can adopt. 

I learned a lot about water supply and demand in 

a headwaters community, as well as factors that 

will influence both in the future. I also had the 

opportunity to engage with other facets of the 

organization, including fundraising, community 

outreach, and river algae monitoring. This was an 

amazing opportunity, and I plan to continue to 

study questions in water resource management 

in the future. 

112

Aubrey Taylor ’24 


PROJECT TITLE 











LOCATION(S) 


MENTOR(S) 
















Environment 

I learned to manufacture microfluidic devices 

to replicate "solid with infused reactive liquid" 

(SWIRL) technology, a method to efficiently 

capture carbon from flue gas for sequestration. 

Flue gas from fossil-fuel powered generation 

plants contributes to a substantial portion of 

anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions. SWIRL 

utilizes a micro-engineered surface coated in a 

thin layer of liquid amine that reacts with carbon 

dioxide. I ran experiments that measured the 

viscosity ratios of various oils to water, which 

introduced me to many advanced concepts in 

fluid mechanics. My experiments will be used 

to develop an oil-water system that can replace 

the amine and flue gas used in SWIRL for 

simplicity while we test its long-term stability. 

For accurate and efficient data analysis, I used 

ImageJ and MATLAB, to write programs that 

can scan through hours of videos to collect and 

organize relevant data. I also initiated a related 

microfluidics project that utilizes oil entrapment 

to remove microplastics for water purification. 

Overall, this experience has made me incredibly 

passionate about scientific research and the 

potential for combining mechanical engineering 

with my background in civil and environmental 

engineering. 

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

113

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Monitoring and 

Assessment in Peru 


Engineers Without 

Borders (EWB), 

Princeton Chapter, 

Peru 

LOCATION(S) 

Carnachique, Peru; 

Pusunchás, Peru 

MENTOR(S) 

Sigrid Adriaenssens, 


Environmental Engineering, 


Scott Gregory, Program 

Engineer, EWB 

Bryan Alfaro ’24 


Certificates: Applications of Computing, Robotics and Intelligent Systems 

Vivian Chen ’25 


Lucy Levenson ’25 

OPERATIONS RESEARCH AND FINANCIAL ENGINEERING 

Certificates: Archaeology, Hellenic Studies, Statistics and Machine Learning 

Arielle Rivera ’23 


Certificate: Latin American Studies 

Ellen Su ’23 


Certificate: Applied and Computational Mathematics 

Daniel Trujillo ’23 


Our team traveled to La Libertad, Peru, to complete the monitoring 

and evaluation phase of our project in Pusunchás and to begin the 

assessment phase of our new project in Carnachique. We aimed to 

close out the Pusunchás project by gauging community satisfaction 

with the construction of the gravity-fed potable water system. We 

did this through surveys and by completing a technical evaluation, 

walking through the system starting from the source captures through 

each of the distribution lines. During our assessment in Carnachique, 

we walked through the irrigation canals, taking notes on GPS data 

points in addition to qualitative features along the length of the 1.6 

km system. We gained knowledge on this trip of the issues that the 

Carnachique community face and the reasons it is important to them 

that we complete this project. We also learned many technical details 

that are important for us to consider when we design the new system in 

Carnachique. Once the construction is complete, our team will travel to 

Peru one last time to ensure that the system is working properly; if it is, 

the team will find a new community with which to work. Overall, this 

experience has allowed us the opportunity to incorperate scientific 

research with our course work. 

114

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Potable Water System 

Assessment 





Ecuador 

LOCATION(S) 

Manabí, Ecuador 

MENTOR(S) 





Nolan Perreira, Project 

Mentor, EWB 

Riti Bhandarkar ’23 


Certificate: Sustainable Energy 

Daniela Martinez ’24 


Yvette Olivas Biddle ’25 


Parker O’Neal ’24 


Loren Ormënaj ’23 


Ariana Rausch ’24 


Certificate: Robotics and Intelligent Systems 

Klara Thiele ’24 


Certificate: Engineering Biology 

Our team conducted the assessment phase of a potable water system 

project for the community of Rosario Vainas in Manabí, Ecuador. 

The goal of this project is to design and implement a water system 

that will provide potable water for approximately 180 households. 

Rosario Vainas is a small, rural village in the rainforest lowlands of 

Ecuador. Currently, residents receive their water from a combination 

of tanks delivered from a nearby city, small hand-dug wells in the 

area, and a nearby river. In order to design the new water system, our 

team collected data on the existing water sources in the community 

to determine the continuity of the underground aquifer and to 

quantify contamination levels from agricultural surface runoff. We 

also surveyed members of the community to understand water and 

electricity access and usage, climate trends in the area, and to receive 

community input on our project design. Through this fieldwork, 

we successfully obtained the requisite geological, geographic, and 

demographic data to design a well for the community. We also formed 

relationships with community members and a local nongovernmental 

organization, relationships that are essential for building trust and 

stability in the project. 

115

WATER AND THE 

ENVIRONMENT 

PROJECT TITLE 

Monitoring and 

Assessment at Kiburanga 

Primary School 





Kenya 

LOCATION(S) 

Isebania, Migori County, 

Kenya 

MENTOR(S) 





Mahiri Mwita, Senior 

Lecturer in Princeton 


and Regional Studies, 


Roger Price, Responsible 

Engineer in Charge, EWB 

Francesca DiMare ’23 

CHEMISTRY 

Helena Frudit ’25 


Kelly Gallagher ’23 


Isabella Gomes ’25 


Deniz Kucukerbas ’24 


Certificates: Computer Science, Finance 

Aidan Matthews ’24 


Justin Zhang ’24 


Certificate: Visual Arts 

We traveled to Migori County, Kenya, as part of the Princeton 

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) Kenya team. This team has 

previously designed and implemented rainwater catchment systems 

in the nearby communities of Komosoko and Muchebe, as well as two 

solar-powered electric pumps in Kiburanga and Kubweye. During our 

most recent trip, we monitored and evaluated the pump at Kiburanga 

to assess its impacts. We addressed concerns through household 

surveys in the surrounding area, as well as through several meetings 

with stakeholders and management structures. We also had the 

opportunity to explore future projects, such as a larger distribution 

system, through meetings with potential partners and stakeholders. In 

addition, we were able to visit previous EWB projects and strengthen 

our relationships with these past partners. We found both the technical 

and community aspects of the project on this trip to be inspiring and 

rewarding, and we hope to continue increasing our impact through 

providing water access. 

116

Acknowledgments 

FUNDING FOR THE 

2022 ENVIRONMENTAL 

INTERNSHIP 

PROGRAM HAS BEEN 

GENEROUSLY PROVIDED 

BY THE FOLLOWING 

SUPPORTERS: 

The Ogden and Hannah Carter Fund 

– 

The Martha Ehmann Conte ’85 Fund 

– 

The Crocker ’31 Fund in HMEI 

– 

The R. Gordon Douglas Jr. ’55 P86 and Sheila 

Mahoney S’55 Fund 

– 

The Edens Family Fund for Climate Change 

Research 

– 

Ellis ’46 Fund in HMEI 

– 

Luke Evnin ’85 and Deann Wright HMEI 

Internship Fund 

– 

Gatto Family Undergraduate Research Fund 

– 

Mary and Randall Hack ’69 Research Fund 

– 

High Meadows Environmental Institute Fund 

– 

Carolyn and Jeffrey Leonard *85 HMEI Research 

Fund 

– 

Newton Family HMEI Scholars Fund 

– 

Smith-Newton Undergraduate Research Fund in 

HMEI 

– 

John H.T. Wilson ’56 and Sandra W. Wilson W’56 

Fund in HMEI 

– 

The Yaverland Foundation Internship 

Endowment Fund 

117

2022 ENVIRONMENTAL INTERNSHIP PROGRAM 

High Meadows Environmental Institute 

Princeton University, Guyot Hall 

Princeton, New Jersey 08544-1003 

environment.princeton.edu 

environment@princeton.edu 

facebook.com/PrincetonEnviro 

twitter.com/PrincetonEnviro 

instagram.com/princetonenviro 

linkedin.com/company/princetonenviro 

118

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