The UC President’s Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Fellowship Program funds student-generated projects that support the UC system’s climate action goals. Meet the talented students who are supporting sustainability at UCSF.
Favorite way to recharge outside of work and school?
Recently, I've been digging into books on where the tech sector and AI are going, including Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams.
What made you interested in sustainability?
My interest in sustainability was strengthened when I traveled to the Sundarbans of West Bengal, India — one of the world's most disaster-prone regions and an epicenter of cyclones, flooding, monsoons, coastal erosion, saline intrusion, and heatwaves. Witnessing these impacts, as well as the considerable political corruption that exacerbates these challenges, transformed my worldview and my understanding of climate injustice.
What project(s) will you be working on for this fellowship?
One of our current projects is a policy analysis examining U.S. operating room attire guidelines to assess whether they provide clear, evidence-based recommendations on material choice — specifically between disposable and reusable textiles.
Favorite way to recharge outside of work and school?
My favorite way to recharge outside of work and school is to take my dog on a hike around the neighborhood! I love getting outside and having dedicated electronic-free time.
If you could solve one environmental issue overnight, what would it be?
If I could solve one environmental issue overnight, I would ensure all buildings and factories ran on 100% clean energy rather than fossil fuels!
What project(s) will you be working on for this fellowship?
I will be working on UCSF’s 2025 Annual GHG Report and the UCSF Fugitive Emissions Project.
Dream Travel Destination:
Cape Town, South Africa
What made you interested in sustainability?
Ever since I was young, my family has raised me to be environmentally conscious through keeping bees and being involved in local environmental initiatives. This has all made me gain a fascinated of the outdoors and sustainability. Seeing firsthand how human activities impact the planet; I have wanted to make a change and working in sustainability fulfills that.
What project(s) will you be working on for this fellowship?
This project aims to reduce medical waste in the Birth Center at UCSF Medical Center at Mission Bay, by redesigning supply kits, transitioning from disposable to reusable materials where feasible, and educating staff on sustainable practices.
Dream travel destination: Isle of Skye in Scotland!
What made you interested in sustainability?
I grew a backyard garden during the pandemic. This project planted the seeds for my interest in sustainability, food systems, and how our political, social, and economic systems are intertwined. Specifically, seeing the difference in politics on a local vs. federal level made me want to devote my future studies and work to everything in the realm of sustainability.
What project(s) will you be working on for this fellowship?
For the fellowship, I will be working with Anna Levitt and Jay Bhatia under the UCSF Health Climate Action Fellowship, where I will be supporting UCSF Health's decarbonization goals through emissions benchmarking, efficiency analysis, and vendor equity tracking across health facilities.
Favorite way to recharge outside of work and school?
My favorite way to recharge outside of school and work is swimming, it’s energizing yet grounding. Somehow it always makes me feel refreshed and clear-headed afterward.
What made you interested in sustainability?
I became interested in sustainability in high school, where I first learned about our environmental challenges and eventually understood the scale of the climate crisis. This allowed me to realize how much was at stake, which pushed me to further explore sustainability.
What project(s) will you be working on for this fellowship?
I'm currently working on the Green Streak project, focused on developing flash sustainability certifications for UCSF offices, labs, and clinics.
Favorite way to recharge outside of work and school?
Cooking challenging recipes for me and my roommates. I find that it recenters and calms me down to challenge myself with a culinary task, plus it gets me off my phone and I make something new and delicious every time!
What made you interested in sustainability?
Pretty much all of the pressing environmental issues that I was seeing and how I wanted to focus my career on something that would help to solve the problem. I love the earth, and there is only one so it was a pretty obvious decision to help with sustainability!
What project(s) will you be working on for this fellowship?
We have been working on different projects surrounding how to make the existing infrastructure at UCSF more climate resilient. A lot of it so far has been looking at what the consulting company that was previously working on it has done (Introba) and following their next steps. I am excited for what the future will bring with regard to the work!
