Page 6 - newsletter2014-v5.pptx

Aoife Semar interned at the Sierra Club, one of the oldest and largest grassroots environmental organizations in the US, writing blog posts and creating two short films for public outreach. Aoife had the chance to attend conferences to learn the ins and outs of the Sierra Club, which helped her gain an understanding of the complexities of influential grassroots organizations. She also attended a rally outside of President Obama’s Climate Address and had the opportunity to testify and voice her concerns on the status of effluents from coal-powered electric plants at an EPA hearing with over 100 other citizens.

Julia Sabatino worked at a medical research center at the University of Maryland School of Medicine conducting research on the health effects of exposure to the organic solvent toluene, commonly found in industry, cleaning products, paints, nail polishes, and glues. She conducted research on a neurite outgrowth experiment to determine if an environmentally relevant concentration of toluene

exposure could result in decreased neurite outgrowth in children born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. In addition to conducting her own research, Julia learned about current research in environmental health, like the effect on human health from exposure to toxic chemicals from contamination of local water, air, and soil. Her work at University of Maryland will guide her during her senior capstone project.

Sondra Lipshutz worked at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection as a Wet Weather Planning Intern within the Bureau of Environmental Planning and Analysis (BEPA). She assisted BEPA’s director and project managers with GIS analyses and database creation for stormwater, water quality, public access, and green infra- structure; conducted research for peer-reviewed journal articles on water quality; created drainage maps of NYC on ArcGIS; and toured local water treatment plants to under- stand the complexities of

water sourcing. Sondra focused on the Parking Lot Stormwater Pilot Program to identify water-bill-free standalone parking lots and charge them for the stormwater they generate to monetarily compensate for the pollution created when run off during high flow events causes sewers to reach their capacity and flow into the NYC harbor. Sondra compiled a final presentation on the subject and presented for BEPA and the Office of Green Infrastructure (OGI).

In addition to the SEE-Beyond and ES Summer Internship Award winners, 7 other ES students received funding for their summer internships in a variety of organizations. They devoted their time and skills to urban planning, sustainability, and ecosystem protection initiatives; worked toward food accessibility issues in urban centers; gathered and organized data; conversed with policy makers; and contributed their expertise to many different social action projects.

relief organization fighting to end food poverty throughout the five boroughs. She also interned with Government Relations, the department that works to mobilize and engage local stakeholders in low-income communities to support policy changes aimed at increasing food access. She organized voter registration drives, and helped mobilize communities to put pressure on their local congress members to stop the cuts to SNAP funding that would result from the proposed new Farm Bill.