My duties with OES were twofold. My initial focuses was on working with the Assistant VP of Energy Management and Sustainability and the Associate VP of Finance on evaluating the financial sustainability for the school. To achieve this I created an excel spreadsheet in which I used data from the schools past financial statements to calculate and analyze 10 financial ratios indicative of the financial health of a small liberal arts school. At the end I presented my results to the Interim VP of… Show more My duties with OES were twofold. My initial focuses was on working with the Assistant VP of Energy Management and Sustainability and the Associate VP of Finance on evaluating the financial sustainability for the school. To achieve this I created an excel spreadsheet in which I used data from the schools past financial statements to calculate and analyze 10 financial ratios indicative of the financial health of a small liberal arts school. At the end I presented my results to the Interim VP of Finance, who will be using the information to inform budgetary alterations in future semesters. Additionally, Oberlin is in the process of updating its climate action plan, so I worked on developing a brief but comprehensive overview of what to include in a CAP update. Next, I will be determining, and then meeting with, the most important stakeholders to discuss how the school and city can update certain strategies in light of the new political climate, new technology, and the GHG inventory. Finally, Oberlin also plans on implementing a campus/city-wide bike share program, which I am in charge of. As we are in the beginning stages, my work consists of reaching out to bike share providers and schools that have successfully implemented bike share programs to learn about the costs, benefits, and implementation process. Additionally, I am conducting a campus-wide survey of available bike racks, and making recommendations for the ideal bike share program given Oberlin's size, population, and terrain. We expect to have a functioning bike share program up and running by this Fall. Show less

I worked on a variety of projects aimed at setting the foundation for the upcoming climate action plan, which the city hopes to publish in the next 1-2 years. To facilitate this process for the city, I created a matrix of strategies prioritized in cities with similar ecosystem and size as Tempe. I additionally wrote a comprehensive overview of adaptation strategies for the urban heat island effect, which given Tempe's location, is perhaps the most immediate climate change related threat the… Show more I worked on a variety of projects aimed at setting the foundation for the upcoming climate action plan, which the city hopes to publish in the next 1-2 years. To facilitate this process for the city, I created a matrix of strategies prioritized in cities with similar ecosystem and size as Tempe. I additionally wrote a comprehensive overview of adaptation strategies for the urban heat island effect, which given Tempe's location, is perhaps the most immediate climate change related threat the city faces. As a part of this process, I worked with ASU in developing a sustainability board game that was played by city staff to help foster systems thinking and integrate considerations of sustainability into the decision-making process. My role in this project was in-depth research of action strategies and their expected outcomes; these ranged from public-private partnerships, to taxes, to sustainable procurement policies, and so on and so forth. I also engaged in side projects such as writing memos summarizing the green bond principles and the importance of sustainable procurement. For each of these memos I presented them to the CFO and head of Procurement, respectively, and we were able to discuss how the city could go about implementing these new, greener, measures. Additionally, I worked directly with the Energy Management Coordinator and the Director of Sustainability on developing a working group curriculum designed to establish a new municipal renewable energy target. The curriculum included four meetings, each with their own PowerPoint presentation, scholarly articles, and news/blog posts. By the end of this workgroup the city will have decided on an 100% municipal renewable energy target by a specific date. Finally, I partially led and took notes for subcommittee meetings that dealt with issues of water quality and urban renewal in Tempe. These groups were comprised of members of the public, local business owners, and government employees. Show less

CBMM is a leader in sustainability, and is considered one of the most sustainable companies in Brazil, and perhaps the world. There I learned a lot about how a private company whose business is inherently detrimental to the environment deals with issues of sustainability. Through meetings with the head of the Environmental Management Department, and his many employees, I learned a great deal about how to conduct life-cycle analyses and how to use this to fully comprehend the environmental and… Show more CBMM is a leader in sustainability, and is considered one of the most sustainable companies in Brazil, and perhaps the world. There I learned a lot about how a private company whose business is inherently detrimental to the environment deals with issues of sustainability. Through meetings with the head of the Environmental Management Department, and his many employees, I learned a great deal about how to conduct life-cycle analyses and how to use this to fully comprehend the environmental and social impacts of their products. Furthermore, I observed how a private business can be run in a way that is conscientious of social and environmental issues, and not solely profit maximization. For example, CBMM provides work for almost 50% of Araxá, and offers amazing educational opportunities for members of the city. One of my biggest tasks while there was writing a document outlining the different roles of different social agents in dealing with climate change. This document was later circulated around the company and presented to staff in an attempt to raise climate change awareness. I also wrote a profile of environmental economist Sergio Besserman Viana, who presented a lecture at the company about the economic solutions for climate change. Finally, I briefly engaged in air and water quality monitoring around the companies’ property. Show less