Office of Sustainability

Michael is a plant ecologist by training who is diving in headfirst into the world of urban trees and sustainable urban green spaces. He recently completed his B.A. at WashU in Environmental Biology and spent the summer working for the USDA in Burns, OR. Michael is excited to return to St. Louis where you can find him hiking, exploring new restaurants, and playing ultimate frisbee after work.

Geena is a full time Climate Corps member on the Circularity and Solid Waste Pollution Prevention team. She is passionate about sustainability at the local level — particularly the cooperation between stakeholders to address local environmental challenges. In her free time, she enjoys getting outdoors, gardening, reading, and crafting.

Elliot was born and raised in St. Louis. His interest in advocacy led him to American University in Washington D.C., where he studied political theory and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science. While in D.C., Elliot helped to organize demonstrations for climate action, and joined 76 other climate activists from around the world in sharing their stories for “We Hear You: A Climate Archive.” He was honored to perform in the project’s launch at the “COAL + ICE” exhibit at the Kennedy Center. After college, he spent two years teaching English and Theater in Lille, France.

Julia is a senior from San Francisco majoring in Environmental Biology with a minor in the Business of Social Impact. Julia took a gap year before attending WashU, and spent that fall semester working on local and national campaigns, followed by 70 days of backpacking through the Pacific Northwest in the spring. Julia also interned for the Go Green Initiative, which solidified her goal of pursuing sustainability in college. Julia is so excited to work with the to work with Strategic Initiatives team in order to learn more about WashU’s commitment to sustainability.

Wissal is a junior from Memphis, TN majoring in Environmental Biology with a minor in Writing. She is interested in environmental public health and hopes to help mitigate consequences caused by environmental issues through research and sustainability focused programs. She is excited to work with the Transportation team to help promote sustainable practices on campus and to be a part of a group of people working towards a mutual goal in helping foster a healthy environment that everyone on campus can enjoy.

Melena is a First Year from Belleville, IL majoring in Computer Science. Her main sustainability related interests are environmental policy and environmental justice. She is excited to create and facilitate engaging programming to further people’s knowledge of sustainability. In her free time, Melena enjoys taking pictures and watching TV.

Sofía Martínez is a current sophomore majoring in both Environmental Biology and Economics. She’s passionate about sustainability and loves to get involved in local environmental efforts through research and volunteering at the Great Rivers Environmental Law Center. She recently spent a summer in Ireland working on an organic farm where she gained an even greater appreciation for conservation and agriculture. Sofía is looking forward to joining the Green Office and aiding in their mission to assist in sustainability efforts on campus.

Elle is a rising junior from Omaha, Nebraska majoring in Environmental Science. She is passionate about climate change, conservation, and sustainability, and is excited to be a part of WashU’s sustainability efforts. In her free time, you can find her reading, doing art, or outdoors enjoying nature!

MC was born Medellín, Colombia, but grew up between New York and Medellín, and considers both places home. She is majoring in the Public Health & Society and plans on becoming a doctor with a background in public health and environmental studies. She is passionate about short-form content creation and educating young audiences on social media on public health issues. She is a current member of Kappa Delta at WashU, and this year, she hopes to further explore and educate more students about sustainable practices with the Office of Sustainability, and with overall healthy living through social media. She enjoys staying active, as she believes mental and physical health truly matter; thus, she love practicing Pilates and meditation. Her hobbies include cooking and baking.

Kaushik is a sophomore from New Jersey double-majoring in Finance and Economics & Strategy with a minor in Political Science. He was a sustainability intern at Zoetis, where he worked on manufacturing emissions compliance, Scope 3 emissions accountability, competitor analysis of other Fortune 500 pharmaceutical companies in a sustainability context, as well as creating client facing, sustainability-focused materials to increase brand trust. On campus, he is the Vice President of Development for Global Research & Consulting Group [GRC], a social impact consulting group that’s worked with 15+ non-profits and NGOs around the world, including clients like Greenpeace International. His hobbies include plane spotting, reading the Wall Street Journal, and playing Wordle everyday. He is committed to increase his personal impact in socially responsible ways.

Erica is a first-year graduate student for the Master of Public Health (MPH) program at the Brown School. She is from Orange County, CA and loves to sing, dance, hike, and watch TV. Erica would like to pursue a career in environmental health within the public health field and spread awareness about the importance of sustainable practices. She is thrilled to work for the Office of Sustainability through the Green Office Program in order to use her passion for environmental health to make a positive contribution to the WashU campus and community.

Jalen is a senior from Boston, MA studying East Asian Languages and Cultures (Chinese) and Environmental Policy. Deeply interested in cross-cultural learning and collaboration, Jalen is motivated by efforts undertaken by disadvantaged and exploited communities globally to advance an equitable and just transition to a low-carbon economy. In the past, Jalen has gained exposure to the sustainability space in a variety of roles and looks forward to returning to Ernst & Young full-time after graduation to continue work in their Climate Change and Sustainability Services practice. Jalen is excited to contribute to driving progress toward the sustainability goals of the University and supporting the development and implementation of an institutional carbon neutrality strategy.

Cate is a senior from Thousand Oaks, CA with a major in environmental analysis and minors in Anthropology: Global Health and Environment and Urban Design. With an interest in sustainable urban planning and finding ways to integrate green living into everyday life. Outside of the Office of Sustainability, you can find Cate at a Green Group GBM, St. Louis farmers markets, hanging out with friends under the ginkgo trees on campus, and most of all–Ted Drewes.