• MEM Environment Concentration: Coastal and Marine Systems (CAMS)
  • MEM Management Concentration:鈥疎nvironmental Economics and Policy (EEP)
  • Expected Graduation Date: May 2028
     

What factors were most important in your decision to choose the Nicholas School for your graduate studies? And, how will your time at the Nicholas School help you reach your career aspirations?

Being selected as a Nicholas Scholar was hugely influential in my decision to attend the Nicholas School. The financial support that comes along with this recognition made it feel so much more possible to not only pursue this degree, but to have the chance to fully take advantage of all the opportunities that present themselves throughout my time at Duke. I can鈥檛 emphasize enough how much this support expanded the capacity that I have to be fully present and immersed.  

As someone deeply passionate about coastal climate solutions and the human dimensions of a changing climate, I felt that the Nicholas School had a corresponding opportunity for each of my avenues of interest. Through this degree I will be able to focus on Coastal and Marine Systems and Environmental Economics and Policy, while being able to pursue a certificate in Climate Change Science and Applications and spend a full academic year at the Marine Lab in Beaufort.  

After spending the last year advocating for climate policy that would hold fossil fuel companies accountable for their responsibility for climate disasters, I have developed a passion for just transition work. This program has encouraged my ability to engage with this important topic through the opportunity to join a year-long interdisciplinary Bass Connections team where we will be exploring community ownership in fossil fuel dependent regions. The project is based in the Gulf Coast of the U.S., and this work, alongside immersive courses offered at the Marine Lab, will provide invaluable experience examining what equitable climate solutions can look like in place-based contexts across the country.  

Ultimately, between the faculty, coursework and research opportunities at the Nicholas School and within the broader Duke community, I felt confident that this was the right path for me to contribute to meaningful environmental work.