Meet Our Students!

PATRICK KELLEY JEREMY PRICE Focus: Environmental Quality Focus: and Efficient Design I completed my undergraduate degree at Hampshire College with a concentration in environmental After completing his undergraduate studies at UMass,(B.S. Development), and wildlife science. My thesis explored the usage of bird feathers as bioindicators of environmental Jeremy sought to strengthen his ability to effectively facilitate change, and enrolled in the Department ANGELICA CAREY contamination using mass spectrometry in the Cape Cod area. I love the environment and everything of and ’s (LARP) Master of Regional Planning Program. Jeremy Focus: Urban that comes with it- wildlife, sunshine, hiking, swimming, and most of all, the beautiful, encouraging is the Peer Undergraduate Advisor/Mentor within LARP and also holds a Graduate Certificate in Climate A native from Lynn, Massachusetts, I attended UMass Amherst for my undergraduate degree in feeling of curiosity that it bestows. I like to think of the environment as the canvas to humankind’s Change and Green infrastructure Planning. and Civic , a self-designed major from the BDIC program. After epic masterpiece. To put it simply, there’s really no way to paint without it, and that’s sort of where Looking to further explore the intersection between the environment, planning, and energy, he was graduating in 2012, I was accepted to teach K-5 General Music and 6-8 Choir with Teach for America, sustainability and environmental quality interests me. admitted to the MS3 program where he will concentrate in Renewable Energy and Efficient Design; in the small town of Palestine, Arkansas. In 2014, I was accepted into the Dual Degree program of currently Jeremy works with the UMass Clean Energy Extension. Regional Planning and at UMass. I’m happy to be back in the valley, and also SHANNON LARGEY feel very privileged to be able to participate in a graduate degree that will benefit me in knowledge Focus: and Food Systems SAMANTHA ROCK and real-life practice. My upbringing in Massachusetts, as well as my time in the South, have I am a Massachusetts native with a long-time passion for food, health, and the environment. I Focus: Water Sustainability and provided me great experiences to see firsthand , environment, planning and policy obtained a BBA in Marketing from the Isenberg School of Management at UMass and a Certificate in I am a graduate of Juniata College, where I received my Bachelor’s of Science Degree in along with different methods of addressing them successfully. Sustainable Food and Farming from Stockbridge in May of 2017. Coming from a childhood on a farm . I studied abroad in Southern India working on erosion management and marine system and a background in business, I have always been fascinated by the role business plays in agriculture. management. Recently I finished my ecological restoration internship at New England Environmental a BARBARA CHAMBERLAIN This fascination is especially true as business acts as a catalyst for change especially in regards to division of SWCA. Currently I am working with Todd Biels identifying and inventorying campus trees. I am Focus: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems organic, regenerative agriculture and Fair Trade. I am truly inspired to take care of the soils and the excited to continue my education with the Sustainability Sciences program, my main focus being water For the past ten years, I have worked at UMass Amherst in the IT department, managing the imaging souls which produce our food. management and climate change. software that helps departments on campus that want to go paperless, and also saves some trees in the process. I enjoy what I do and love being part of this community. I also live an environmentally- SYLVAIN (KOBY) LORNG conscious, animal-friendly lifestyle. So the Sustainability Science degree program seems like a Focus: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems MICHAEL ROSSI natural extension/progression of both my home and work life. I chose the “Sustainable Agriculture Born and raised in Ivory Coast, I grew up in the capital city, Abidjan. After receiving my Bachelor’s Focus: Environmental Quality and Food Systems” concentration because I’m passionate about where food comes from and what degree in Finance and Accounting, I worked at a bank for 10 years managing the international I am from Methuen, Massachusetts. I got my undergraduate degree at Unity College, an institution in happens to it before it reaches our plate. I’ve always been a firm believer that you are what you eat. operations division and the relationship with large corporations. In addition, I built a small farm of 10 Maine with the educational framework of sustainability science, in , , and Society Food matters. It can hurt us or heal us. I am excited to begin this MS3 journey. ha (24 acres) of rubber trees, 3 ha (7 acres) of palm oil and 2 ha (5acres) of cocoa trees. At that point, with a minor in . I am very interested in grassroots environmental advocacy, and have worked I realized that I could better help my community by getting a degree in sustainable agriculture. with the Environmental League of Massachusetts Action Fund on political campaigns throughout the EMILY CHIARA I moved to the U.S. and obtained certificates in sustainability management and solar energy at state helping to elect and defend environmental champions. I am an Eagle Scout which serves as my Focus: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Bunker Hills Community College and Roxbury Community College respectively. I enrolled in the MS3 motivation for my work in the environmental field. I am a Western MA native and excited to return to the area after living, studying, and farming in program at UMASS Amherst to further expand my portfolio of knowledge in sustainable agriculture. Arkansas, North Carolina, India and Guatemala over the past 9 years. I received my bachelor’s CHRISTOS SALEDAS degree in Global Studies from Warren Wilson College in 2012 and have worked as an elementary Focus: Environmental Quality SAVANNAH MCCARTHY school garden educator in NC as an Americorps volunteer and in Western MA through School I completed my undergraduate degree at UMass Amherst in in 2017. During Focus: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Sprouts Educational Gardens. I am interested in using food and garden spaces as catalysts for my final year at UMass I had the opportunity to go abroad at the School for Field Studies in Costa Rica, I am from California and recently graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Society and Environment community development, social justice, and cultural preservation and look forward to working studying and researching . In my free time I love to do anything that gets me from the College of Natural Resources and a minor in Political Economy. During my time at UC Berkeley with likeminded students and faculty. outdoors especially running, hiking, and playing soccer. I am very excited to return to UMass as a part of I became interested in a wide range of issues from rangeland conservation to water rights to global LAUREN DE LA PARRA the MS3 program with a concentration in environmental quality! Focus: Urban Sustainability . However, my true passions lie in agrarian reform and sustainable agriculture I am a Canadian hailing from Montreal, Quebec. A chance encounter with the magical world - looking at both agro-ecological practices at the micro level as well as policy decisions at the macro of sparked a chain reaction resulting in my recent transplantation to Western level as potential solutions to the myriad of problems facing our world’s people and resources today. At LAURIE SIMMONS Massachusetts, where winters are mild (relatively) and everything is green (literally and figuratively). UMass I would like to continue to learn more about all of these issues while moving towards a solution Focus: Water Sustainability and Climate Change My academic interests span multiple disciplines including , urban food to agrarian problems around the world. I look forward to everything this program has to offer! I am a sustainability educator and the Sustainability Coordinator for Residential Life here at UMass. I arrived systems, , and marketing for sustainability. When I am not engaging with these in the MS3 program with a background in animal science, six years of real world experience, and a few topics and their champions somehow, you’ll find me fermenting things and getting outdoors. SHANNON MULKERN years on campus within academic affairs. My academic interests have evolved over time and I am now most Focus: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems interested in understanding and promoting sustainable decision-making and behavior at the individual and DANNY DILLON I graduated from UMass in 2015 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology, and am unbelievably excited to be organizational levels, particularly within the context of higher education. I aim to help students define what Focus: Environmental Quality returning for my Master’s in Sustainability Science. I’ve spent the past two years out of school dabbling means in their own lives, encourage them to recognize and engage with sustainability I come from a background in and have worked in the aerospace industry for nearly 5 in a little bit of everything – working in special education, traveling, volunteering at a nonprofit farm, issues on campus, and inspire them to take the knowledge and skills they develop here on to their future years. My deep passion for the outdoors is a result of many hours spent skiing, hiking and surfing about and waitressing. UMass is where my interest in sustainability began, from the dining halls to the green lives & careers. It is our responsibility as an institution to prepare our students for the sustainability the northeast. Though I spend much time enjoying , it is easy to realize that much of it goes buildings, and it feels perfect to me to be returning to my roots. I plan to focus on agriculture practices, challenges they will face upon graduation, no matter the field they enter. I believe more can be done within unprotected and underrepresented, which is even more apparent when experienced in developing nutrition, landscape maintenance, and , and how sustainable methods can be University administration to enhance sustainability campus-wide from operations to curriculum to student countries. While these countries struggle with unhealthy environments and demanding developmental implemented in various sectors for healthier future generations. I hope to also pick up a few tips and affairs. In so doing, we will differentiate our institution and its students as leaders in this growing field. goals, just outside our own doors are similar challenges in need of addressing. With the incoming MS3 tricks for sustainable marketing so that I can go on to share what I’ve learned with others. students I hope to demystify some of the environmental degradation and destruction that relentlessly VARSHA SURESH permeates our globe. I’m excited to get my hands dirty and continue growing my toolbox with SANTOSHI NADIMPALLI Focus: Urban Sustainability/Renewable Energy and Efficient Design sustainable strategies to help progress the realm of environmental quality. Focus: Urban Sustainability Hailing from India I developed an interest in green and clean energy while completing my undergraduate BRITT FLORIO Santoshi graduated from UMass Amherst in May of 2017 with a Bachelor of Science in in engineering. Having interned in a social enterprise as well as a public policy forum in Focus: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems Science. Her time at UMass lead her to want to focus on a career that works specifically with and for India, I realized that I wanted to study further to understand the underlying economic, ecological Britt is a New England native who loves nature, teaching, and building community. She currently works disadvantaged communities. Ultimately, working towards a safer future where are all identities are and social principles that govern sustainability. My academic interests include urban sustainability, for UMass Dining as the Senior Sustainability Coordinator overseeing the Sustainability Department’s valued and can thrive. Hence, she plans on focusing on Urban Sustainability within MS3. Within the social entrepreneurship, public policy and renewable energy. I am also trying to inculcate a green and “green” initiatives. Britt’s roots are in regenerative agriculture, educational programming, and concentration she is interested in the intersection of , sustainable community minimalistic lifestyle personally. I enjoy reading, traveling and conversations over warm cups of coffee. permaculture design. She holds an Associate’s Degree in Ornamental Horticulture and a B.S. in Agriculture development, and public policy. and Natural Resources from the University of Connecticut. In her free time, Britt loves to kayak, contra TOM O’NEILL LEAH WANG dance, travel to new places, preserve food, and is learning to play the ukulele. Focus: Urban Sustainability Focus: Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems MARCIE GALLO O’CONNELL I grew up in a small town in southeastern Massachusetts where I spent my youth exploring the I graduated from Bowdoin College in 2012 with a degree in and . Focus: Urban Sustainability woods behind my home and developing a love for the natural world. It was through a passionate Since then, I have worked on small, sustainable farms in Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts, and I Marcie comes to the MS3 program with a background in Anthropology. Building on her undergraduate high school environmental science teacher that I discovered the concepts of sustainability, which hope to continue my agricultural education here at UMass. Farming and working alongside farmers is level certificate, Marcie is now also pursuing a Graduate level Certificate in Native American Indian sparked a drive in me to pursue it further. I did my undergrad at Philadelphia University, now recently most interesting to me, and I hope to be at the forefront of knowledge and innovation when it comes Studies. She brings over 20 years of food industry experience with her, including nearly 14 years of small merged with Thomas Jefferson University, in Environmental Sustainability. I am most interested in to technologies and techniques specifically for small-scale farmers in New England. I look forward to business ownership. Marcie is also a certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach. She is interested in the how to create climate resilient cities that generate sustainable and equitable economic growth. enhancing my Sustainable Agriculture concentration with other coursework in efficient design and water cross-disciplinary foundations of the MS3 program and the ability of those foundations to address global sustainability so that I can be the ultimate resource for farm and land stewards. sustainability challenges, while also preserving cultural heritage. Her passion is focused on the crossroad MICHAEL POWERS ERIN WITHAM space between sustainability science, urban , and traditional ecological knowledge. Focus: Urban Sustainability Focus: Water Sustainability and Climate Change ANNA GRIMES A native of Hanson, Massachusetts, Michael received his BFA in Photography from the Massachusetts My name is Erin Witham and I come to the MS3 program by way of Portland, Maine. I am a graduate of Focus: Urban Sustainability College of Art and Design, specializing in large format photography of and domestic life. Earlham College in Indiana where I studied /Anthropology. Over the past 7 years, I have worked for Anna Grimes is a MS3 student concentrating in Urban Sustainability. After completing her Associate’s After a long-term volunteer project through , which involved the revitalization of farms, he and with community non-profits doing everything from bookkeeping to cartography and even worked on degree at Lake Land Community College in Mattoon, Illinois, Anna moved to Massachusetts to attend developed a passion for learning urban and rural sustainable practices. This hands on approach to a project in my hometown to build a wildlife-friendly road crossing. Most recently, I worked as a contractor Endicott College. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science with a minor in and problem-solving led Michael to become the Studio Manager at Tommy Mitchell Company, providing GIS technical assistance to conservation organizations and agencies as part of a habitat protection Studies, and was the recipient of the Social Sciences award. While attending Endicott, Anna worked where hand-crafted metal products are constructed to resemble organic materials. By combining program throughout the state of Maine. I am excited to have the opportunity through this program to as an administrative assistant for the National Center for Student Parent Programs. Internships at the design and sustainability elements, he is interested in developing solutions to critical climate change develop tools and strategies to help communities proactively prepare for and adapt to climate change. I Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and the Environmental League of Massachusetts obstacles. His interests in urban development, green economies, and have led him am interested to learn more about sustainable communities at UMass and expand my own definition of Action Fund led Anna to continue her education in environmental policy and justice at UMASS Amherst. to the MS3 program at UMass to prepare for a future that reduces our . sustainability. In my free time, I enjoy birding, hiking, cooking, snorkeling, and photography.