EPIC Cohorts
2024 Fellows
Amber Leung - CA State Lands Commission
Hi! My name is Amber Leung, and I’m currently a freshman prospectively majoring in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Public Policy. This summer, I will be working at the California State Lands Commission to analyze and improve their legislation around environmental justice and natural resource stewardship. My background is in climate justice advocacy and community organizing, and I am passionate about the renewable energy transition and environmental equity. I especially am interested in how we can utilize both technology and policy to achieve climate action, and I’m looking forward to spending the summer with SLC at the intersection of environmental science and public service!
Amy Wang - Sierra Club, Advancement
Amy Wang is a current freshman from San Diego, California who will be working with the Sierra Club this summer. She's interested in a variety of majors at Stanford including Symbolic Systems, Computer Science, Creative Writing, and MechE, but is currently undeclared. In her free time, she likes reading, writing, and going on long hikes.
Anna Tavakolian - Sierra Club, Strategic Planning
Anna Tavakolian is a rising junior majoring in Earth Systems and Economics. This summer she will be working with the Sierra Club as a strategic planning intern, helping the environmental organization with project progress tracking, stakeholder engagement, and policy and strategy alignment. She is passionate about advancing climate action, decarbonization, and interdisciplinary sustainability across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. Anna is from Eugene, Oregon, and outside of academics, she enjoys running, yoga, biking, baking, reading, and exploring nature.
Anushka Vijay - CA Ocean Protection Council
Hi! My name is Anushka Vijay. I am a sophomore at Stanford University from Bangalore, India and Manila, the Philippines. At Stanford, I am pursuing a major in Earth Systems and a minor in Feminist, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. This summer, I am extremely excited to work with the California Ocean Protection Council. Through this fellowship, I hope to harness policy to empower resilient marine ecosystems and coastal communities across the state. Outside of environmental justice and policy advocacy, I am passionate about early education and love working with kids. I serve as a summer camp counselor at Camp Kesem and teach Title One elementary school students about environmental sustainability with Sprout Up Stanford. In my free time, you can find me outdoors, hiking or practicing yoga. I also love scrapbooking and reading historical fiction novels!
Chloe Hughes - Sierra Club, Membership Growth
Hi! I'm Chloe Hughes, a sophomore at Stanford studying Symbolic Systems with a concentration in Neurosciences. I'll be working at Sierra Club this summer to help expand their impact. I'm interested in neurotech, songwriting, and trying new things!
Fiona Mooney - San Francisco Environment Department, Toxics Reduction and Healthy Communities
Hello! My name is Fiona Mooney and I am a junior (rising senior) majoring in Environmental Systems Engineering in the Energy Systems concentration. This summer I will be working as an Environmental Policy in California (EPIC) Fellow at the San Francisco Environment Toxics Reduction and Healthy Communities Team. Given my interest and passion in advancing environmental justice and significance of air pollution and toxin exposure in environmental injustices, I am very excited to learn in this role and engage in the very important work done by the agency. Outside of classes, I am also involved in Stanford’s Environmental Justice Film Festival, SSS, Cardinal Community, and the Women’s Rowing Team. Previously I have worked as a Shultz Fellow with the California Energy Commission and a Policy Fellow at the Farmlink Project, and am looking forward to learn more about policy as a tool to advance Environmental Justice.
Hailey Demars - CA Department of Food and Agriculture
Hello I am Hailey! I am a Data Science Major with a focus in Environmental Science. I will be working at the California Department of Food and Agriculture. I am interested in sustainability and climate change. I like to read, paint and go on walks in my spare time.
Isabella Tavarez - Sierra Club, Federal Energy Campaign Strategy
My name is Isabella Tavarez and I'm a Senior at Stanford studying Civil & Environmental Engineering with a focus in Environmental Fluid Mechanics and Hydrology. I'm passionate about sustainability and environmental conservation through a lens that centers racial and economic justice. I'm interested in how to best use the limited land and resources that we have in an equitable manner, as well as reducing the "wastes" produced or discarded by our current systems.
Katrina Golob - Sierra Club, National Press Secretary Communications
I'm Katrina Golob, and I'm a freshman from Menlo Park, California. I haven’t declared my major yet, but I’m interested in history and psychology. In my free time, I like to read, bake, try new coffee shops, and spend time with my friends and family. I’m passionate about the humanities, travel, sustainability, and preserving California’s beautiful natural environment. This summer, I’m excited to be working with the Sierra Club on their National Press Secretary Communications Team. I’ll be working remotely but based in the San Francisco-Bay Area, near campus.
Kevin Song - CA State Water Resources Control Board, Office of Information Management and Analysis
Hi! My name is Kevin ('25), and I'm studying CS and Music. I'm interested in how data and software tools can be used to inform ethical, cutting-edge policymaking. I’m excited to work with the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Office of Information Management and Analysis this summer to address environmental and natural resource challenges. In my free time, I like to write and spend time with my orange cat, Leo.
Rohan Chowdhury - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
Rohan Chowdhury is a second-year Political Science and Urban Studies student from Rancho Cucamonga, CA, interested in urban planning and policy. He is interning this summer at the California Governor's Office for Planning and Research/Strategic Growth Council.
Sara Hernandez - CA Air Resources Board, Office of Community Air Protection
Sara Hernandez, is a Junior from Southeast Los Angeles, majoring in Urban Studies with a concentration in Sustainability. This summer, she’s interning at the California Air Resources Board to learn more about mitigating air pollution levels through environmental policy strategies. In 2023, Sara interned at Sustainable San Mateo County, where she researched sustainable policy solutions for vulnerable communities in the Bay Area. She also spent time in Oaxaca, Mexico, conducting conservation fieldwork on tree extraction methods. On campus, Sara is actively involved in Stanford Women in Law, serving as their PR Chair and as a member of their Speaker and Alumni Relations committee. During her free time, she enjoys dancing with Stanford Ballet Folklorico, listening to Sade, and going on trips with friends. After Stanford, she hopes to attend law school to become an environmental lawyer.
Sava Tamanaha - Sierra Club, Advancement
My name is Sava Tamanaha, and I am a freshman interested in environmental, criminal justice, and public health policy. During my time at Stanford, I hope to learn about these issues from both scientific and policy standpoints, as I believe that understanding these components within a problem is critical to finding solutions that make a real impact. This summer, I will be joining Sierra Club to advance these interests and to work to contribute to combatting climate change. Outside of my academic and career interests, I read lots of literary fiction, love hiking, and enjoy cooking in my dorm's kitchen!
Serena Turner - Sierra Club, Social Media
Serena is a current Junior, class of 2025, studying Symbolic Systems on the Neuroscience track and minoring in Earth Systems, Sustainability. She is interested in understanding human behavior in order to create further advancements in the environmental realm. She is excited to be interning with the Social Media team at Sierra Club this summer. As Sierra Club creates tangible change to protect our environment and the people inhabiting it, she looks forward to strengthening her Environmental Communication skills and learning from all the expertise at Sierra Club. She cannot wait to create engaging content in Washington, D.C.!
Tesfa Madhin - San Francisco Environment Department, Clean Transportation
Hello. My name is Tesfa Madhin and I am a junior pursuing an undergraduate degree in International Relations and a coterminal Master’s degree in Sustainability Science and Practice. I am originally from Whittier, a town just outside of Los Angeles. This summer, I will be interning at the San Francisco Environment Department under the Clean Transportation Program working on preparing the city for the introduction of more and more electric vehicles by studying what infrastructure will be required for the transition. In my free time I enjoy spending time in nature, traveling, and going on walks.
Zulie Malone - Sierra Club, Federal Communications
Hi, I'm Zulie, a sophomore majoring in Earth Systems on the oceans track and minoring in Creative Writing. I am deeply passionate about creative media as a tool to further the goals of environmental justice and enact change. I will be working for the Sierra Club's federal communications team to do exactly this, helping them with educational materials, memo writing, and outreach media for various federal policy projects. Though I am working remotely from the Bay Area, I plan to visit the office in DC for a week or so during the summer and see firsthand how they operate and join some in-person teamwork. I am super excited to have the chance to immerse myself in the world of environmental policy and nonprofit activism!
2023 Fellows
Angel De Dios - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
Audrey Jung - CA Ocean Protection Council
Josh Davenport - CA State Water Resources Control Board, Office of Information Management and Analysis
Miriam Awan - CA Air Resources Board - Office of Community Air Protection
Sam Prieto Serrano - CA State Water Resources Control Board, Office of Information Management and Analysis
Sydney Guthrie - CA State Lands Commission
2022 Fellows
Alexis Perez - CA State Water Resources Control Board, Office of Information Management and Analysis
Emily Zhao - CA Ocean Protection Council
Janica Mendillo - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
Lizzie Avila - San Francisco Environment Department
Miriam Wallstrom - CA Air Resources Board, Office of Environmental Justice
Olivia Szabo - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
2021 Fellows
Brook Thompson - CA State Water Resources Control Board, Office of Information Management and Analysis
Jocelyn Thai - San Francisco Environment Department
Judy Tsegaye - Bay Area Air Quality Management District
Michael Zhu - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
Molly Glickman - CA Ocean Protection Council
2020 Fellows
Alain Perez - San Francisco Environment Department
Austin Ota - CA Air Resources Board, Office of Environmental Justice
Benek Robertson - CA Ocean Protection Council
Jennifer Wang - CA State Water Resources Control Board, Office of Information Management and Analysis
Kiara Louise Bacasen - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
Tucker (Javier) Matta - Pesticide Action Network
2019 Fellows
Chris Escobedo - CA Department of Conservation
Jacqueline Vogel - CA Ocean Protection Council
Lindsay Young - CA State Water Resources Control Board, Office of Information Management and Analysis
Sandro Hall - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
Yesenia Ulloa - San Francisco Environment Department
2018 Fellows
Julia Goolsby - CA Department of Conservation
Kyle Van Rensselaer - CA Department of Conservation
Nate Marshall - CA Ocean Protection Council
Rachel Portillo - CA Department of Fish and Wildlife
Stephanie Fischer - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
2017 Fellows
Dylan McArthur-Waltz - CA Department of Fish and Wildlife
Erin Pang - CA Governor's Office of Planning and Research, Strategic Growth Council
Victoria Mendez - CA Department of Conservation