Student

Jack Schill

MS

I'm generally interested in watershed management in the American west. I'm interested in incorporating interdisciplinary approaches to help address how to manage these critical resources in light of drought, climate change, and population increase. I hope to rely on environmental history, traditional ecological knowledge, and participatory research methods to holistically probe the questions surrounding these issues.

I like to sew.

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Aaryaman “Sunny” Singhal

MS, PhD

Aaryaman “Sunny” Singhal earned a dual-degree in 2024 from the Energy and Resources Group and the Goldman School of Public Policy at UC-Berkeley. He is interested in water security in the Western United States as the climate changes (drought, sustainable agriculture, the water-energy nexus, etc.). In particular, Sunny wants to write policy that not only advances a more just future for the most marginalized people, but also builds political coalitions for stronger action in the future.

Sunny is intellectually curious and values diverse experiences. He studied liberal arts and...

Simone Speizer

PhD
Simone Speizer is a PhD student in the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley. Her research interests center on air pollution and climate impacts, and especially their intersections with health and equity.

Faraj Sungkar

MS
Faraj is a master’s student in UC Berkeley’s Energy and Resources Group (ERG) with an interest in engineered biomass, biofuels, and bioenergy systems that enable the removal of atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Bree Swenson

MS, MPP

I'm interested in exploring the impacts and unintended consequences of climate policies across levels of government, with the goal of better understanding how to make informed policy decisions and incorporating community-led governance. I'd like to apply this knowledge to a variety of climate sectors, including vehicle miles traveled reduction and mitigation, short-lived climate pollutant reduction, plastic/waste reduction, and circular economies.

I finished sectioning the Tahoe Rim Trail last summer. It was a great excuse to go to the...

Dawson Verley

MS

Dawson is a Master’s student in the Energy and Resources Group at UC Berkeley. His interests lie at the intersection of data science and sustainable development, with a focus on climate adaptation, agriculture, and natural resource economics. He’s currently studying weatherization policies in Europe and the domestic political economy of climate finance in Latin America. Before joining ERG, Dawson worked on natural resources policy in Alaska’s state legislature. He grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska, and holds a BA in Political Science from Stanford University.

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María Villalpando Páez

PhD
María is interested in exploring rural and peasant women’s role in the advancement of food sovereignty and in understanding the complex negotiation processes between communities, individuals, and the environment in rural and agricultural communities in Mexico.

Liyang Wang

MS, PhD
Liyang is a PhD student in the Energy & Resources Group and a Senior Research Associate at Berkeley Lab. Her research interest is at the intersection of decision science, climate science, and infrastructure planning.

Rachel Ward

MS, PhD
Rachel is interested in the social, ecological, and geophysical dynamics of agro-forestry coffee and cacao systems in the tropics.

Leila Winn

MS
Leila Winn (she/her) is a master’s student pursuing a MS in ERG. Her research interest lie in urban ecology with a focus on urbanization and habitat.