Hunter Dunn is a first year ESE student passionate about contributing to the research of conservation and restoration ecology. Hunter earned her BS in Environmental Science, with a focus on Applied Ecologies, and her MS in Engineering focusing on Sustainability and Public Health. She currently works as a Student Trainee with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in the Mission Support Division.
Growing up in Northern California shaped her passion for the natural environment and gave her a deep appreciation for the intricacies of ecosystem services. Moving to Los Angeles highlighted how different environmental pressures manifest in densely populated regions, inspiring her commitment to supporting the health of these systems against changing conditions. She is excited to expand her expertise and engage with research that supports ecological resilience.
Jackson Guze is the Research Coordinator at the California Center for Sustainable Communities (CCSC) within UCLA’s Institute for the Environment and Sustainability. Jackson brings a background working in government, with prior experiences in environmental policy and planning at LADWP, the Los Angeles City Council, and the South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD). He is interested in work focusing on institutional responses to climate change, including energy policy, the logistics industry, and the successes and failures of the regulatory state.
Jackson obtained his M.P.A. in Environmental Science and Policy at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs in 2019. He completed a B.A. in Columbia University’s Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies in 2018. He previously contributed to the Red Sea Net project, exploring the impact of climate change on everyday life for youth in Red Sea-adjacent countries.
Martin Monto is a Professor of Sociology at the University of Portland and a Visiting Researcher at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability at UCLA for the 2025-26 academic year. His current interests in environmental research focus on three areas:
- Investigating how cultural beliefs have historically justified environmentally harmful practices, and developing strategies to promote attitude change to create greater support for environmentally sustainable and socially just practices.
- Exploring strategies for preserving existing housing in order to enhance affordability, promote ownership-particularly among the working class and communities of color-and reduce environmental impact.
- Advancing non-regulatory approaches to land preservation, regenerative agriculture, and sustainable land use in light of the recent Chevron Decision, which may limit the regulatory capacities of federal agencies. He anticipates working with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy or other regional conservation groups to document how these organizations function to protect land amid competing interests and priorities.
With a passion for epistemology and a publication record that reflects a range of research methods, including surveys, qualitative interviews, and content analyses, Monto looks forward to collaborating with and learning from other environmental scholars while also preparing his own undergraduate course in environmental sociology. Monto’s other research interests include gender, sexuality, and public health.
Monto holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from UCLA, and a B.A. in Life Sciences and Sociology from Kansas State University. He has supervised 85 sociology senior theses in the past four years on a vast array of topics and recently received his institution’s Undergraduate Research Mentor Award. He is a two-time winner of the Beigel Award (2015 and 2025) for the best sexuality article in a calendar year from the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS).
Environmental Science major with concentration in Environmental Systems and Society. Minor in Earth and Environmental Science.
MIMG Major with a minor in Environmental Systems and Society
Emily McFerson graduated from UCLA’s Earth, Planetary & Space Sciences Department with a degree in Earth & Environmental Science and a minor in Film, Television & Digital Media. She is a Communications Fellow and research assistant in Dr. Tripati’s lab. Alongside her laboratory work, Emily is an aspiring writer and film producer. Her debut short film, Greener, aims to spread awareness about eco-anxiety and is currently in post-production. Emily remains passionate about finding ways to blend storytelling and environmental science. In her free time, she enjoys making earrings, visiting gardens, drinking matcha, and reading.
Environmental Science Major concentrating in Environmental Systems and Society
Isabella Brahmst is a fourth-year undergraduate student at UCLA, double majoring in Climate Science and Political Science. With the lived experience of being the child of immigrants and coming from a multicultural family with Jamaican and German roots, Isabella brings a global perspective to the fight for climate justice. Her commitment to climate solutions is grounded in both science and policy, inspired by her family’s multigenerational background in farming.
Isabella was on Our Children’s Trust team as a governmental affairs intern for about two years, supporting youth climate litigation by garnering Congressional backing, assisting in the filing of amicus briefs and a joint resolution, and contributing to the #SaveJuliana campaign. She has also conducted research alongside Dr. Aradhna Tripati on the effects of climate change on microclimates in the hometowns of youth plaintiffs in the Genesis v. EPA case. This past summer, she interned in the U.S. Senate where she gained tools in understanding how to effectuate change through the legislative process. .
A proud fellow of the CDLS program, Isabella values the sense of community and collaboration it fosters. She believes that STEM thrives when a mosaic of diverse voices and perspectives come together. With this, she takes it upon herself to always seek to amplify voices beyond her own and try to deepen her understanding of the world everyday.
Outside of academics, Isabella enjoys scuba diving, visiting astronomy observatories, exploring new places, and spending time with animals. She grew up on a goat and flower farm and continues to draw inspiration from nature and her global family network.
Carter Yean developed his passion for environmental science as a young child, being raised on shows like Octonauts and Wild Kratts and traveling to National Parks across the country with his family.
Throughout high school, Carter continued to explore this spark, taking classes in environmental sciences, ecology, etc. However, this passion continued outside of the classroom, with Carter interning with local nonprofits such as Heal the Bay and Friends of Ballona Wetlands. Carter also competed at the NCF International Envirothon, winning the California State Championship twice in a row and placing 10th and 7th at the international level as team captain and aquatic ecology/hydrology specialist
When it came time to apply to an undergraduate program, Carter’s drive for sustainability pushed him to apply as an Environmental Sciences Major. However, spending so much time quantifying environmental contamination in high school inspired Carter to declare a double major in Chemistry. With this degree combination, Carter aims to develop new techniques and technology for remediating ecosystems and protecting human health.
Now at UC Berkeley, Carter has been involved with a flurry of initiatives and organizations. From a watershed ecology intern with WhollyH2O to developing water filters with the Cal Environmental Engineering team, Carter has worked tirelessly to develop solutions to pressing environmental concerns.
It was this desire to create solutions that called Carter to the research world. Since his very first semester at Berkeley, Carter has worked as an undergraduate researcher in Karine Gibbs’ lab, studying soil microbial compositions in the local watersheds. Carter also joined Aradhna Tripati’s lab at UCLA for the summer, learning valuable chemical instrumentation techniques and being exposed to CDLS. Furthermore, Carter returned to Heal the Bay as a water quality monitoring associate, learning valuable field and laboratory skills related to water quality.
With aspirations of pursuing a PhD, Carter aims to continue exploring the world of environmental sciences and chemistry while driving real-world change. With a strong connection to water systems and environmental contamination, Carter hopes to leverage science to improve both environments and human health.
