20x20 | Preparing scholars for careers in the policy world
The Rising Environmental Leaders Program (RELP) at the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment has quietly nurtured a generation of environmental leaders, preparing them for policy-impacting roles in government, academia, and corporate sustainability. Over the last 13 years, more than 200 early-career professionals from across Stanford’s seven schools have completed the program. Many of them are now at the forefront of environmental decision-making.
RELP’s interdisciplinary approach, combining professional developmentopportunities with policy immersion, equips participants with the skills and connections necessary to drive change. RELP fellows attend training and skills development workshops before participating in intense programs in Washington, D.C. and Sacramento, where they engage directly with policymakers and decision-makers to gain hands-on experience in translating science into actionable policy.
The program's true success can be measured by the achievements of its alumni, who are now shaping policies and initiatives that address some of the most pressing environmental challenges of our time. For instance, Sandra Nakagawa (RELP 2017) leveraged her fellowship experience to secure a prestigious California Council Science & Technology (CCST) fellowship. That, led to Nakagawa to a position as legislative manager at the California Energy Commission, where she shapes climate and energy legislation. Arvind Ravikumar (RELP 2016), serves as a research associate professor and co-director of the Energy Emissions Modeling and Data Lab at the University of Texas, Austin, contributing to groundbreaking research and policy analysis.
RELP alumni have also made their mark on federal policy, with several fellows going on to receive highly competitive AAAS fellowships in placements across the federal agencies and Congress. In her role as associate director of U.S. Plastics Policy at the Ocean Conservancy, Anja Malawi Brandon (RELP 2019) was instrumental in helping to inform California’s landmark SB-54 law, which addresses plastic pollution. Fast Company named Brandon to its Most Creative People in Business list for 2023.
Beyond these individual successes, RELP has fostered a network of professionals working across sectors to solve critical environmental issues. This network extends across state and federal levels, with participants like Rebecca Miller (RELP 2020) contributing to the national science-policy interface as a researcher for the Institute for Defense Analysis Science and Technology Policy Institute, and Terra Weeks (RELP 2016) leading the California Heat Pump Partnership, an alliance among state agencies, manufacturers, utilities, and others to help accelerate the state’s electrification.
As RELP fellows continue to shape the future of environmental governance, they exemplify how the program’s investment in young talent leads to real-world environmental solutions.
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