Meet our 2021-2022 scholar-professionals who are gaining deep intellectual foundations and applied training in sustainability. Their diverse foci span ecology, business, communications, environmental science, urban design, and more. They combine passion and skills to be tomorrow’s changemakers.
Ace Arroyo
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
I grew up on a dairy farm in Idaho, where I gained an appreciation for our natural resources and saw many of the challenges involved in agriculture. After high school, I enlisted in the Marine Corps and then returned to Idaho, earned a B.A. in Multidisciplinary Studies from Boise State University. I’ve worked as a Business Intelligence Analyst. Now I’m pivoting my career toward sustainability. My goal is to bridge sustainable agriculture with urban areas: make conditions safer for farmworkers, empower people, improve quality of life, conserve natural resources, and combat climate change.
Michael Barry
M.S. Candidate
Water Sustainability and Climate Change
I am the vintner at a local winery. The skills and knowledge I acquired from the UMass Food Science program (graduated 2017) and the Holyoke Community College Culinary Arts program (graduated 2015) are fundamental to the winery’s continued success. Through the Sustainability Science program, I wish to enhance my planning abilities to upgrade sustainability and to increase efficient resource utilization. In the distant past, I was commissioned as an officer in the US Army through the UMass ROTC program while graduating from Western New England University with a degree in Business Management. I worked as a bank auditor/examiner for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. I retired as a professional firefighter/paramedic due to an injury in the line of duty. Life can be a strange and wonderful journey. Education has only served to enhance my personal voyage and to provide opportunities I did not know existed. I am confident the Sustainability Science program will improve the adventure.
Dugan Becker
M.S. Candidate
Dual Degree - MS3/MRP
Originally from Westwood Massachusetts, I have spent my life immersed in the natural beauty of New England, and have developed a strong passion for environmental protection as a result. This passion eventually led me to UMass Amherst for my undergraduate studies, where I received a B.S. in Natural Resources Conservation, and a certification in Public Policy. It was at UMass that I discovered energy efficiency and renewable energy were the primary niches of the environmental sector that interested me the most. Having previously witnessed the valuable knowledge and skills taught by the UMass ECo department first hand, I was eager to continue my studies in this setting at the graduate level via the MS3 Program.
Zachary Bergeron-Clearwood
M.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
Originally from Maryland, I graduated from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a BS in Biology with a minor in Psychology, and from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a MS in Visual Ecology. Since undergrad, I have been interested in the intersection between build urban environments, nature, and sustainability -- how can we incorporate nature and natural processes into the build environment, how can we best use new research to improve the sustainable practices of cities, how do we democratize access and encourage engagement of city dwellers to natural spaces, etc. In the field of urban sustainability, I’m especially interested in sustainable transportation (not just public mass transit, but also promoting cycling and walking). In my free time I can be found playing a variety of stringed instruments, playing board games with my wife, and taking pictures of my polydactyl cat who might occasionally interrupt a Zoom class.
Madison Brady
M.S. Candidate
Water Sustainability and Climate Change
I am from Leominster, MA and attended UMass as an undergraduate student studying Environmental Science. By contributing to graduate level research on winter lake drawdowns in Massachusetts through a co-op program at UMass, I discovered a passion for freshwater resource conservation and restoration within the environmental field. Since then, I have been committed to studying freshwater systems and am inspired to make a difference in water and habitat quality throughout New England. Even though freshwater is my focus, I also enjoy exploring and studying marine ecology, geology, and forestry. My first internship experience was spent climbing trees for a tree care company!
Stephanie Camp
M.S. Candidate
Dual Degree - MS3/MRP
I am from Southern Connecticut and graduated in May of 2019 with a B.A. in both Environmental Studies and Urban and Community Studies from the University of Connecticut. My interest in learning about the environment began when I briefly lived in San Diego, California while I was in high school. Although I only lived there for a short period of time, it was there that I became vegan and environmentally conscious. I’m very excited to expand my knowledge in the environmental field, as well as enter the regional planning field as a dual-degree MRP/MS3 candidate.
Samuel CarterM.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
I am from Central Massachusetts and studied environmental science for my undergraduate degree at UMass Amherst. I’m looking forward to studying how we can modify our regions and municipalities to become more equitable, inclusive, and environmentally conscious. I’m also interested in how our perception of the world is affected by the built environment and how a large-scale shift in the makeup of a region through sustainability projects would affect the ways its inhabitants interact with and think about the world around them. In my free time, I like going on hikes and hanging out with friends.
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
Cheyenne Ellis
M.S. Candidate
Water Sustainability and Climate Change
Originally from Connecticut, I graduated from Mount Holyoke College with a BA in Environmental Studies with a minor in English. I am interested in aquatic ecosystems and the impacts of climate change on submerged aquatic vegetation and aquatic organisms, as well as how changing water bodies will impact those who live in their vicinity. I am also very interested in scientific communication and finding different methods that allow the public to connect with and understand complex scientific topics. In my free time, I love to read, write, and love being around animals.
Rachel Gies
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
I grew up in Boston, MA, and recently graduated from UMass Amherst with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Natural Resources Conservation. As an undergraduate, I was the GIS Assistant for the Physical Plant and was a part of the Gymnastics and Fashion club. I have been a vegetarian for 5 years now after watching Cowspiracy, and this led to my passion for reducing the impacts the meat industry has on our environment. I am also interested in finding ways to improve food security in Boston and other urban areas. Outside of academia, I love being in nature, cooking with friends, and exploring sustainable fashion.
Angie Gregory
M.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
Angie has been a long-time advocate for sustainability and community organizing. As a mother compelled to steward a healthy world for future generations and convinced that socially responsible entrepreneurs have the capacity and responsibility to affect big change, she pondered how more people could feel the simplicity she did through sustainable diapering and founded the first zero-waste diaper service in Massachusetts that compost disposable diapers. Angie joined local networks supporting workplace democracy and reincorporated as a women-owned worker cooperative soon after its inception. The business ran its course over eight years and Angie developed a strong connection to the families, and local businesses of the Pioneer Valley. She is often engaged in local issues, advocating for the City’s bike/ped committee where she helped create a citizen manual for liveable streets, and is often supporting the City’s Reuse committee through advocacy and volunteering. Angie helped fundraise to secure farmland forever in Florence, MA during Grow Food Northampton’s capital campaign in 2011. During her time at Smith college as an Ada Comstock Scholar, Angie developed programmatic center partnerships across campus in advocacy for project-based curriculums that engage in civic projects in service to the SDGs. She makes far too many herbal products and medicine in her spare time, always looking for wild edibles, enjoys swimming in cool water on hot summer days, and trail running with friends in all seasons. Angie is grateful for her three children, ages 16, 12, & 8, and husband, who all love to play soccer and tolerate her repetitive uke playing and singing.
Ryan Griffis
M.S. Candidate
Dual Degree - MS3/MRP
A lifelong resident of Massachusetts, I graduated from Umass Boston in 2016 with my bachelors degree in Political Science. As an undergraduate I focused my time on different political campaigns and policy projects for groups focused on issues ranging from climate justice to electoral reform. After graduating I became interested in urban planning and addressing major problems at the local level. In 2018 I attended a hands-on program in New Mexico to learn about building regenerative housing, and in 2019 I was elected as a Town Meeting Member in my hometown of Danvers, Massachusetts. I am excited to study in the MS3 and MRP Programs, and believe they will help me to become a more effective proponent in my field.
Monica Guzik
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
I graduated from UMass Amherst with a B.S. in Sustainable Food and Farming. I grew up in Western Massachusetts but since graduating I have had the chance to live and work from Cape Cod to Colorado and have had the opportunity to travel abroad. When I started as an undergraduate I had little knowledge of what food systems were, nevermind the complexity behind them. Since that initial exposure, local food systems quickly became a peak of my interest. After taking a hiatus between my undergraduate and graduate career I am eager to start the MS3 program to delve into topics that revolve around policy, public engagement, and nutrition. My goal of completing this program is to be part of creating and implementing community-based solutions that will help cultivate more resilient and sustainable food systems.
Lee Halasz
M.S. Candidate
Dual Degree - MS3/MRP
Nine years ago I moved from Australia to New England, and I have loved learning about a climate, ecology and cultural history very different from that of my 'previous life'. I have always been fascinated by and worked in the broad field of wildlife, ecosystems and land management. I recently worked with Kestrel Land Trust (Amherst, MA) for three years helping to progress their land conservation vision, before spending the last two years (almost!) completing a Master's of Regional Planning with a focus on natural and working lands. I will finally properly begin the MS3 component of my dual degree, and I am really looking forward to bringing more environmental and ecology courses into my studies. More generally, I find it very rewarding to get several families out every week exploring the Amherst region's amazing natural environment that we are so lucky to have access to. I am a keen birder, and find it very difficult to focus on much else each May during the northern migration.
Robin Hansen
M.S. Candidate
Dual Degree - MS3/MRPI recently graduated from UMass Amherst with a B.S. in Sustainable Community Development in May of 2021 and am enrolled as a dual degree major for the MS3 program and the MRP Regional Planning program. With a concentration in urban sustainability, I aim to expand on my knowledge from my previous studies on how to better design our built environment to create a more sustainable relationship with the Earth and its resources. My interest in studying sustainability and planning began from growing up in Brewster, Cape Cod, having witnessed the destruction of the Cape's fragile and beautiful ecosystems from the damaging effects of climate change. I currently work as a research assistant on an NSF funded project studying the food, energy, water nexus and I am an intern for the assistant town planner of Maynard, Ma. In my free time I like to tend to my hoard of houseplants, practice roller skating, and take my dog for nature walks.
Katie Howe
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
I am from Malden, MA and recently graduated from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts with the class of 2020. In my time at MCLA I have taken part in a number of academic projects focusing on food waste and composting, food insecurity in the Northern Berkshire County, land conservation, invasive species awareness, and water quality testing in the Hoosic River. Environmental policy, social justice, leadership, and activism are great passions of mine. I look forward to continuing my studies in the MS3 program this academic year to strengthen my understanding of and exposure to topics of sustainability and food systems. I am excited to meet everyone!
Gaby Immerman
M.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
Gaby has been teaching the Horticulture courses and running the summer internship program as the Landscape and Education Specialist at the Smith College Botanic Garden for almost 20 years. She also provides private residential landscape design and installation services all over the Valley with her business, Green Thumb for Hire. A native New Yorker, she oversaw field operations for NYC’s community gardening program, and accumulated a range of professional experience in both horticulture and agriculture all over the U.S. before settling down in Northampton in 1999. Gaby has served on the Board of Grow Food Northampton and played a leadership role in the development of their community farm for almost a decade. She is also the Co-Moderator of the Mill River Greenway Initiative, a working group of local citizens who aim to protect the Mill River watershed, preserve its cultural artifacts, enhance its biological health and encourage recreational activity.
Erica Light
M.S. Candidate
Water Sustainability and Climate Change
I am a professional editor of medical research manuscripts and the developer and instructor of a new student-driven inquiry-based laboratory course for the Integrated Concentration in Science (iCons) Program. My mission is to facilitate inclusion, accessibility, and diversity in the sciences both institutionally and epistemologically. For example, how might our approach to schooling, our methods of constructing and disseminating knowledge, our intellectual history, or our relationship to time undermine a commitment to socio-environmental values? How do we balance conformity to scientific standards with openness to truly transformative ideas? I bring to my studies a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, an Integrated Concentration in Science, and 4 years experience in undergraduate laboratory course instruction and coordination.
Christine McCorkindale
M.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
My background is in the performing arts, and from 1999 to 2015, in IT as a Technology Analyst at Harvard Business School. Originally from a small town in North Carolina, I studied dance in LA, and lived in the UK and other parts of Europe in my 20s and early 30s. I love to travel and have made Massachusetts my home for the last 20 years. A recent transplant from Boston to western MA, I'm thrilled to be part of the MS3 program. This latest chapter of my life was initiated through my interest in 'urban homesteading', living more sustainably, and the permaculture course I took in 2015. When not listening to NPR and fretting about our political situation, climate change, or the pandemic, I hike as much as possible in the hills around Greenfield. I also love SUP, kayaking, dancing, and windsurfing.
Ainsley McStay
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
I recently graduated from UMass Amherst with a BS in environmental science and sustainable food and farming. As an undergraduate, I worked on multiple farms as a farm crew member and was involved with agricultural pest and disease management plans. I am now working in a biogeochemical lab analyzing the effects of heavy metal pollutants in edible plant growth and the bioavailability of heavy metals in urban community garden soils. I live in the Pioneer Valley, enjoying the hiking and local food scene. I am very excited to continue on with my education in sustainability, focusing on sustainable agriculture and food systems in the MS3 program!
Jessica Mooring
M.S. Candidate
Dual Degree – MS3/MRP
I recently graduated from UMass in May 2020 with a B.S. in Natural Resources Conservation. I grew up in Western Massachusetts and my passion for sustainability solidified after spending a semester studying abroad in Bhutan experiencing the interconnectedness of community and environmental stewardship. I am excited to continue my studies as part of the MS3 program and look forward to expanding my knowledge and experiences.
Jordan Moran
M.S. Candidate
Environmental Quality
I grew up in central Kentucky with an endless supply of trees, creeks, and trails around me. Most of my childhood was spent playing in the woods, camping, and trying my best to skip rocks. As an adult I got my B.S. in Biology from Eastern Kentucky University so I could play in the woods professionally. I recently completed an internship in Joshua Tree National Park doing vegetation restoration and invasive species removal. Using my degree and experience I am excited to be concentrating on environmental quality go preserve and protect our public lands so other kids can grow up with an endless supply of trees, creeks, and trails.
Robert Navaroli
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
I was born and raised in Central Massachusetts. After serving four years in the US Marine Corps I attended and received an associate’s degree from Mount Wachusett Community College in 2015 in Natural Resources and Technology. I went on to complete my bachelor’s degree in Sustainable Food and Farming at UMass Amherst in 2019. While completing my undergrad I worked with the livestock and horses at the Hadley farm. I also worked at a local dairy farm that hosted the class dairy calf management. I was able to spend 3 months WWOOFing in Scotland on multiple farms as a practicum. While taking animal science classes I was able to travel the east coast from Georgia to Canada touring and evaluating dairy farms. Through animal science I was also able to compete in the regional and national dairy challenges. Currently I work at W.H. Miner Institute in Chazy, NY as a research technician. The research at Miner Institute focuses on Dairy farming, environmental, and agronomy. I am excited to continue my education to help compliment my agricultural experience. My overall goal is to continue working in research or consulting focused on sustainability and livestock production.
Christine Nelson
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems
I’m thrilled to be back at school after some years of raising a family and considering my next professional move. My background has been in communications; I earned my BA from Washington University in St. Louis. A love of plants and nature has been life-long for me, whether I have been gardening, beekeeping, educating others, or growing a field full of flowers. I am working towards a career and life that will enable me to have a hand in minimizing climate change. I’m especially interested in soil health and removing our excess atmospheric carbon dioxide through soil carbon sequestration.
Jennifer Nelson
M.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
Jennifer is a Massachusetts native and 2020 UMass graduate with a B.A. in Communication. She has a multifaceted academic and professional background encompassing knowledge of green architecture and animal science, a semester abroad in Italy, and multiple cleantech internships. These experiences, paired with the rising urgency for corporate regulations and ecological protections, pushed Jennifer to continue her exploration of the intersection of people, policy, and the environment with the MS3 program. She looks forward to learning both in and out of the classroom and connecting with other ambitious classmates who share her interest in environmental and societal welfare.
Kevin O'Brien
M.S. Candidate
Water Sustainability and Climate Change
Kevin joins us most recently from an AmeriCorps position in Southeastern Vermont where he worked to engage the community in local resiliency efforts through the municipal government. He found that position after being evacuated from Peace Corps service in Zambia where he and his wife were working with the Linking Income Food and Environment (LIFE) Project, which focused on AgroForestry. Being exposed to different cultural and societal goals has cemented for him the value of interdisciplinary learning. Kevin is also bringing his background of growing up in the Midwest then moving out to Montana to a town with a single 4-way stop, which continues to influence his outlook on community development. He is excited to engage with his teachers and students to continue broadening and deepening his understanding of how we develop our communities to serve the people that live there and beyond.
Devon Parsons
M.S. Candidate
Water Sustainability and Climate Change
I graduated from UMass Amherst with a BS in Environmental Science in 2021, and I am very excited to be returning to school this fall. Remediation of polluted sites, whether it be soil or water, has been a strong interest of mine ever since I took phyto/bioremediation with Om Parkash Dhanker, as well as inorganic contaminants in soil with Baoshan Xing. Both of these scientists' work have pushed me to further my education in dealing with contaminated areas and to dive into sustainable ways to fix what has already been done. I have worked on a farm for the past four years, but I hope to one day work for the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection or for the EPA. My goal within the program is to deepen my understanding of governing the commons, and hydrology of forests and wetlands. Understanding policy as well as how biological processes work is vital in making a change in sustainability.
Simon Pereira
M.S. Candidate
Renewable Energy and Efficient Design
I grew up north of Boston in Andover MA. I attended UMass Amherst for undergrad studies. Upon taking classes related to atmospheric science I quickly became absorbed into climate change. I now look to implement sustainable solutions through retrofits and renewable technology applications. I have worked in energy management, retrofitting, air sealing, solar energy, and energy modeling and ratings. I have also run two businesses online and would love to combine entrepreneurship and sustainability in the future. I am a big fan of many outdoor sports and am always open to rock climbing or hiking with new people. Originally I am from Melaka, Malaysia and have been fortunate to have visited family many times over the years. In addition to Malaysia I have spent much time backpacking throughout Asia.
Alexia Perides
M.S. Candidate
Renewable Energy and Efficient Design
I completed my BA in Economics at UMass Amherst last August in order to enroll in the MS3 program fall 2019. While at UMass, I've worked anywhere from a local acupuncture clinic to the Student Government Association as Secretary of Sustainability. I've been able to curate my studies, work and extracurriculars to include sustainability in its many forms. Through my internship at the UMass Clean Energy Extension and MS3 coursework, I've discovered my passion for data analytics and research which I'll pursue beyond this program. I love to garden and read although I'm still working on doing them simultaneously, and I have the ambitious goal of becoming fluent in Spanish. I'm so excited to continue my studies of economic and policy driven solutions to our current social, economic and environmental climate.
Anaadi Pooran
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago nature has always been a huge part of my life. After majoring in Chemistry and experiencing bioplastic research at the University of the West Indies, St Augustine, I knew I wanted to help develop sustainable practices regarding food packaging for Small Island Developing States (SIDS). I think the MS3 program is best suited to equip me with the interdisciplinary approach that is important to moving SIDS towards a green economy.
James Siakakaba
M.S. Candidate
Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems
James Siakakaba is an agronomist from Zambia. He holds a bachelor’s degree (BSc. Agriculture) from the University of Zambia, with specialization in Plant science. James has over seven years work experience in the agricultural sector in Zambia. He is currently a recipient of the Fulbright scholarship, which has enabled him to pursue studies in sustainability science (MS3). In his studies, James is focusing on sustainable agriculture and food systems while furthering in knowledge on climate action and environmental conservation. His interest in sustainability studies stems from his past work experience in agricultural extension where he worked with thousands of small-scale farmers. Upon completion of his studies, he intends to work with rural communities and smallholder farmers through promotion of resilient farming practices for improved rural livelihoods and responsiveness to the impacts of climate change.
Gretchen Siegchrist
M.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
I grew up on a farm in Vermont, and have lived in western Massachusetts for the past 16 years. My background is in communications, and I have worked for magazines and newspapers, run a video production company, and produced documentary films. Currently I work in the UMass undergraduate admissions office, producing videos and managing digital communications projects. I am on the urban sustainability track, and am interested in developing skills and knowledge so that I can effectively communicate about sustainability, and turn research and best practices into reports and stories that can be easily understood and acted upon.
Eric Sirkovich
M.S. Candidate
Environmental Quality
I grew up in Lexington, Massachusetts. Ever since I came to UMass Amherst in 2017, I’ve fallen in love with Western Mass, and I’m thrilled to be back! This past spring, I graduated with a B.S. in Environmental Science and a minor in Chemistry. As an undergraduate, my coursework and research positions helped me discover a passion for soil science and chemistry, and how they can be combined to understand and protect the ground beneath our feet. My senior thesis project analyzed the use of pXRF technology as a rapid and accessible method for analyzing soils for toxic elements like lead and arsenic. This summer I am working as an Environmental Science Intern at VHB in Watertown, where I am exploring how these fields can be applied to the professional world. I’m excited to start the MS3 program and learn how to make a living by playing in the mud!
Emma Sylvia
M.S. Candidate
Renewable Energy and Efficient Design
I grew up in a little corner of the world known as southeastern Mass. At a young age, I’d spend hours outside in imaginative play with nature as my inspiration. I still find such magic and kinship in nature, especially while walking along the many forested trails throughout New England. I decided to stay local for my bachelor’s degree, and in 2019 I graduated with a B.A. in English and a minor in Sustainability from UMass Dartmouth. Having always maintained a respect for the environment, it wasn’t until my junior year of undergrad that I learned about the field of sustainability. I’m excited to join the MS3 program and come into it with a keen interest in community-wide waste reduction strategies; green-building technology; renewable energy; and the socio-cultural and spiritual facets that underpin the viability of the field. I hope to someday share what I learn through research or teaching at the university level. Though my penchant for plucking recyclable objects out of the trash remains my true passion, I also enjoy linguistics, history, film, video games, drag culture, and, most importantly, cats.
Paula Uribe
M.S. Candidate
Environmental Quality
As an undergraduate student focusing on community health, I realized that the biggest threat to our communities is the degradation of our ecosystems and the services that they provide for us. As an immigrant, I learned that while nature is not concerned with borders, humans impose them on each other- even as climate changes in ways that make certain corners of the world unlivable. I believe that environmental justice is inevitably linked to social justice, and as such I decided to pursue an MS in Sustainability Science. I currently work as a paralegal supporting Cities and Towns across Massachusetts in relation to their tax title and public health code enforcement matters, but during any down time, you can find me thrifting, mending, cooking, biking, or weeding my garden. I am excited to join a group of like-minded individuals who wish to reconcile urbanization and nature conservation.
Jonah Vorspan-Stein
M.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
Jonah is a Massachusetts native who comes to the MS3 program with an interest in the human side of sustainability. He is committed to building a strong labor-climate partnership, to fight back against the dual crises of environmental destruction and inequality. Jonah is a former culinary worker, union organizer, and Vice President of his local: UNITE HERE! Local 164 at Hampshire College. He is currently a Senior Paralegal at Curran, Berger & Kludt immigration law, where he performs research and case work for a variety of family- and humanitarian-based immigration matters. He is also completing his M.S. at UMass' Labor Studies program.
Tommy Weir
M.S. Candidate
Urban Sustainability
I grew up in Upstate New York, and recently graduated from Olin College of Engineering with a Mechanical Engineering degree. Throughout my undergraduate degree, I took courses in sustainability and learned about how environmental and societal issues can intensify each other. Through the MS3 program, I want to deepen my knowledge of food system issues and be able to apply my fluid mechanics knowledge to develop more sustainable irrigation systems. In my free time I enjoy hiking, cooking, playing guitar, and upcycling found materials.
| Next... Our program doesn't just have amazing students, faculty, and staff; we also have some pretty incredible partners. Learn more > |
