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.