2016 Undergraduate Cohort

I’m currently a fourth year Earth System Science major with a specialization in Hydrology and Terrestrial Ecosystems and a minor in Urban and Regional Planning. My research as an undergraduate is focused on conservation ecology though. As a result, I’m really interested in the development of sustainable cities, but specifically focused on watershed restoration and renewable water/water conservation methods in urban areas. I’m excited for the opportunity to be a part of the UPP Down Under program as I think it will nicely blend and bring together what I’ve learned in my major, minor, and research, and greatly add to it a new perspective that I would not be able to gain elsewhere. In addition, I’m excited to be working with other individuals who have the same interests as me.

I am a third year Environmental Engineering student with a minor in Business at UC San Diego. In general, I am interested in integrating sustainable practices and technology into current major cities in addition to applying these methods to growing underdeveloped communities. Particularly, my research interests are in water sustainability especially with increasing drought risk and urbanization affecting natural habitats and human life. By being a part of the UPP Down Under Program, I hope to narrow down my areas of interest in sustainability, in order to optimize my role in the green movement.

My name is Lydia Natoolo- I am a Forth year Biology Major with a minor in Political Science – planning to go Medical School. Growing up in Uganda, Africa- I constantly fetched water from contaminated water sources and hence living un-healthy. In 2014 I worked on a water research paper - focusing on drinking water sources in Uganda - which I presented at UCI, UC Berkeley, and Cal State Fullerton and through my study I learnt that every hour 38 children are dying due to drinking contaminated. In 2014 a found out that Atutur Hospital in Kumi, Uganda was operating without access to clean water- I started a non-profit Organization that has been able to provide clean water to Atutur Hospital and due to the new water system, mortality rate has decreased to 28%. My passion to science, integrating policy making, Innovations in technology, and team work has propelled me to connect with PIRE program. By participating in this program, I will be able to learn more about Australia’s approach towards developing clean and sustainable water sources and continue to use the knowledge and skills from the United States that I will then be able to transfer to building sustainable communities in Africa, first by creating clean water sources.

A nature lover to the core, Marina has developed a variety of skills during her time spent at UCLA as an Environmental Science major. Her strong interest in water resource management, law, and policy drove her to explore the complicated world of water at length, from the ground up. She is now fluent in the jargon of environmental policy and regulations, can successfully debate the issue of water markets (in the context of Australia and their future application in California), as well as perform fieldwork collecting water samples, tracking pollutants, and a variety of other relevant hydrology skills. Marina’s career aspirations are perfectly in line with the work currently being done by the PIRE program, she hopes to both learn and contribute a great deal to these efforts.

I am currently a third year Environmental Engineering student at UCI. I am interested in promoting a more sustainable lifestyle and help communities make better choices about water resources. I am excited to be a part of the UPP Down Under Program and to learn more about pressing water challenges facing society.

I am a recent graduate from UCSD with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and a minor in Urban Studies and Planning. My interest in water resource management began two years ago when I participated in a Research Experience for Undergraduates program called ReNUWIt Renewing the Nation’s Urban Water Infrastructure. The goal of this program is to change the ways in which we manage urban water using natural and efficient engineered systems. The following school year I became involved with a campus organization called Global TIES Teams in Engineering Service. With this group I was part of a team that was designing a sustainable kindergarten for the island of Taveuni, Fiji. The design included passive solar lighting and wind cooling, rainwater harvesting, a gravityfed hand washing station, and, a composting toilet. I am currently pursuing a position as an Environmental & Water Resources Engineering with the Peace Corps and have recently become interested in public policy. By participating in this program I hope to further my understanding of urban water management and learn about alternative strategies such as Melbourne’s integrative approach to water management within the context of a livable city healthy, sustainable, and prosperous.

As a third-year student majoring in Environmental Science, I seek to gain a new perspective on integrated water management. Through this experience, I hope to expand my knowledge on green infrastructure and water policy. I cherish the value of traveling to different hydrologic societies abroad as a means of shifting my mindset and developing creative solutions in the face of rapidly changing climate conditions. My interests include urban development, permaculture, and policy.

I am entering my fourth year at UCLA, where I study Environmental Science with a concentration in Environmental Systems and Society and a minor in GIS. California’s drought is not likely to end anytime soon and I am excited to learn from the experts in the UPP Down Under program about how we as a society can best combat the water scarcity. I am interested in both the science and the policy that will be necessary for increased water sustainability. I hope for this program to lay down a foundation that will enable me to eventually become a leader in the sustainability field.

Ronald Domholdt is a graduating senior who gained his bachelor’s degree in Environmental Engineering. He has worked for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab and as a research assistant in Professor Jasper Vrugt’s research group since July 2014. He’s pursuing a doctorate in climate and space sciences, specifically in the field of carbon and nitrogen cycle research. By taking part in PIRE's UPP Down Under Program, he wants to brush up on his chemistry knowledge, prepare for graduate school, and help improve sustainable practices in Australia and Southern California.

I am a fourth year Environmental Science major at UCLA with my concentration in Environmental Systems and Society. I am interested in urban stormwater quality and management, and how to change behaviors and interactions with the environment through policy. One of my recent projects involved assessing industrial stormwater compliance programs in LA County, and I am looking forward to further developing my understanding of various water management systems through this program.

I am entering my senior as a Environmental Engineering major at UC Irvine. After graduation, I plan to attend graduate school and then build a career that will provide California with sustainable solutions. I am interested in water quality, sustainability, and environmental issues. My current research involves oxygen transfer rate and non-Newtonian fluids.