Earthshot Labs is a platform dedicated to developing and financing high-quality, nature-based carbon projects at scale. These projects are funded through the Voluntary Carbon Market (VCM) and are grounded in scientific rigor to ensure accurate and verifiable climate benefits.
In 2024, I had the opportunity to intern with Earthshot for four months during my PhD program. During this time, I built and ran dynamic vegetation simulations using the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator (FATES) within the Community Land Model (CLM) to explore forest sustainability under different Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios. I also contributed to modeling carbon projections for an agroforestry project.
This experience significantly strengthened my skills in ecological modeling, programming, and science communication. It also deepened my understanding of carbon dioxide removal (CDR) strategies and the structure and operation of the VCM, while giving me the opportunity to take initiative and collaborate on real-world climate solutions.
WildEarth Guardians is a grassroots, non-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting and restoring wildlife and wildlands in the American West. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a national non-profit that advocates for climate change mitigation, public health, and nature conservation.
In 2020 and 2021, I had the opportunity to work with both organizations, primarily with WildEarth Guardians, assisting in legal efforts to challenge oil and gas drilling and exploration. My work focused on identifying and documenting drilling activity in the Chaco region of New Mexico. Many of the wells were operating illegally, located on culturally significant lands, and contributing to air pollution that negatively impacted nearby Navajo communities.
Through this work, I developed skills in Python programming, GIS, and Google Earth, and gained experience analyzing public government records to help identify regulatory violations. Our findings revealed that approximately one-third of the wells in the region were in violation of environmental protections. Eventually, the courts halted new drilling activities as a result.
The Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of Michigan offers an essential introductory course for undergraduate majors and minors, covering topics such as geology, plate tectonics, earthquakes, groundwater systems, paleoclimate proxy records, and modern climate change.
In 2021, I served as a Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) for this course. I led two lab sections each week, developed and graded lab assignments, and contributed to the design and evaluation of both midterm and final exams. I also held regular office hours and study sessions to support student learning and engagement.
Although the course had a strong emphasis on geology — a subject I had limited prior experience with — I took the initiative to teach myself the material each week in preparation for lab sessions. This experience strengthened my confidence in navigating unfamiliar challenges, sharpened my leadership and communication skills, and reinforced my ability to learn and teach complex scientific concepts effectively.
The American Solar Energy Society (ASES) is a non-profit organization that has been advocating for renewable energy in the United States since 1954. It aims to accelerate the transition to a sustainable energy economy and serves as the American affiliate of the International Solar Energy Society.
In 2020, I interned with ASES as a Student Chapter Coordinator. In this role, I communicated with university faculty involved in solar research and helped coordinate the development of new student chapters at other universities.
Through this internship, I gained valuable experience in renewable energy transitions, administrative and organizational support, public communication, marketing, and stakeholder engagement within the clean energy sector.