Cassie Gardener-Manjikian, M.P.H., LiS Class of 2012

A passionate environmentalist and social justice organizer, Gardener-Manjikian says LiS broadened her views on what real sustainability looks like. “Interacting with students and faculty with diverse backgrounds and views about sustainability helped me value more mainstream and economically-framed solutions I hadn’t considered. I learned ‘going green’ isn’t just about reducing our eco-footprint, but partnering with businesses and governments to ‘green’ their products, chemicals, technologies and regulatory frameworks.” Gardener-Manjikian helped create UCLA’s first climate change and health class. Working for California Environmental Justice Alliance, she’s back on the frontlines of advancing policy to address environmental issues that affect mostly low-income and communities of color.