New Futures Fellowships

Climate + River Delta Communities

Jessica is a wildlife biologist who has had the privilege of studying threatened and endangered species from the Florida Everglades to the Missouri River in North Dakota. She has seen firsthand how threats to ecosystems not only affect wildlife, but also the surrounding human communities that depend on these areas. She is interested in community-based conservation and finding holistic solutions to environmental challenges. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Resources with a concentration in geographic information systems through Clemson University. She holds a B.S. in Wildlife and Conservation Biology from the University of Rhode Island.

Climate + River Delta Communities

George is a Research Fellow at SEI Africa Center, currently on sabbatical to pursue a PhD at the University of Dundee, Scotland. His interdisciplinary research studies examine various issues in environment and development. George's environmental career began in small-scale initiatives in both rural and urban communities in Kenya. In rural settings, he provided support to wildlife conservation strategies, nature-based enterprises, resolution of human-wildlife conflicts, and natural resource use conflicts pitting pastoral and farming communities. In urban informal settlements, he was involved in community mobilization and training, and fostered community participatory methodologies in various locally driven development initiatives. George is passionate about linking knowledge with policy, practice, and learning through communication and advocacy.

Climate + River Delta Communities

Gen is a spatial sciences scholar at the University of Groningen and the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, where he is learning interdisciplinary theories and methods (structured around environmental science, spatial justice, and digital humanities) to create pathways for island sustainability. During his undergraduate degree in fisheries at the University of the Philippines, he studied mangrove mapping through his thesis and engaged in scicomm internships at Asian Scientist Magazine and the World Wildlife Fund. Having lived near a river that once neared biological death, Gen is keen on understanding how ecological histories and folk knowledge can help (co)design resilient futures.

Climate + River Delta Communities

Mayumi is a Gates Cambridge scholar and PhD student at the University of Cambridge, and the Founder of SustainED. She has several years of experience working with marginalized and climate-affected communities globally, including refugees and migrant workers, low-income racialized youth, Indigenous hill tribes, and timber labourers across North America, Asia, and Europe. Her academic and advocacy interests involve co-creating campaigns and initiatives for impact-based community development and research. She is a National Geographic Explorer and has received awards from Audi Environmental Foundation, Peace First, and Global Solutions Initiative, among others, for global advocacy on environmental and social equity.

Clean Energy + Environmental Justice

Wenting is an MS student in the University of Southern California's Environmental Data Science Program. She holds a BA in Statistics from University of California, Berkeley. Prior to her Master’s study, Katherine worked as a Research, Data & Innovation intern with the World Resources Institute. Her current focus is on nature-based climate solutions as well as mitigating the environmental impact, particularly biodiversity loss, associated with clean energy transition. Apart from her education and professional experience, she is also an avid birder and a wildlife illustrator who is passionate about advocating for collective actions to preserve wildlife habitats in local communities through creative communication.

Clean Energy + Environmental Justice

Kyle is a passionate environmental advocate and scientist. Having worked for organizations such as the US Army Corps of Engineers, Food & Water Watch, and the University of Maryland Center for Global Sustainability, he brings an interdisciplinary approach to policy issues. He is also a fierce advocate for social and environmental justice. Kyle graduated from William & Mary with a B.S. in biology and environmental science & policy and is currently pursuing an MPP at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy.

Climate + Marine Communities

Astrid is a materials science engineer, climate and gender equality activist and storyteller from Costa Rica. Now pursuing a degree in Management of Natural Resources. With an unwavering commitment to environmental issues, Astrid utilizes her storytelling to shed light on the urgent need for climate action. As a member of the 2022 fellow Cohort for Future Rising, she worked to create a documentary centered on the women's cooperative in the rural village of Manzanillo, Puntarenas. This small fishing village on Costa Rica's Pacific coast grapples with poverty and government neglect. Astrid strives to empower women and girls, create opportunities for growth, and inspire them to be changemakers. By sharing stories and implementing initiatives to support young women in their pursuit of leadership, she hopes to contribute to a more equitable future where gender equality is not just a goal but a reality.

Climate + Marine Communities

A lifelong connection to the ocean, sparked by a transformative summer camp with the Buccoo Reef Trust, led Seth to pursue a B.Sc. in Marine Sciences at the University of Trinidad and Tobago. Now a PADI Rescue Diver and veteran of numerous projects, Seth's expertise lies in environmental project management, pollution monitoring, and scientific communication. Seth's work includes a study on the impact of human pollution on the Bon Accord Lagoon, stakeholder-driven improvements for the lagoon's health, and mapping local sediment movement. He has experience in GIS, fisheries management, aquaculture, and marketing, contributing across a diverse range of marine conservation efforts. Additionally, Seth serves as Tobago's island representative for the Sustainable Ocean Alliance, advocating for sustainable practices to protect marine ecosystems.