Student spotlight: Alice Heiman on turning environmental data into impact
Stanford students are getting a head start on careers with education and leadership programs offered by the Woods Institute for the Environment. We talk with Alice Heiman, a junior who bridged academic knowledge and real-world practice through the Mentoring Undergraduates in Interdisciplinary Research (MUIR) program.
Heiman applied natural capital models and spatial analysis to pinpoint high-impact reforestation sites around São Paulo, Brazil, with the goal of improving water quality, enhancing carbon sequestration, and supporting ecosystem services.
What part of your MUIR fellowship was most meaningful or eye-opening?
I didn’t realize before this project just how amazing forests are. They do so much more for us than sequester carbon. What really intrigued me was how critical forests are for water quality.
How has this opportunity influenced your academic or career aspirations?
I’ve become more sure that I want to apply computer science and AI to issues within human and planetary health. I’ve realized the importance and fun of interdisciplinary work – it forces me to work in more dimensions, and learn not only how to solve a problem, but also whatproblems are worth solving.
What advice would you give other Stanford students considering research, internships, or fieldwork in environmental or sustainability topics?
Sustainability can be quite broad. It can sometimes feel hard to get a tangible outcome or skillout of an internship. So, my advice is to find a tool or a skill set that researchers or people in thefield are using, and that you can spend some time learning each day.
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