Field Fellowship for Environmental Justice

Our Field Fellowship for Environmental Justice provides mentorship opportunities and financial support for UCLA students working with civic leaders. Through these real-world projects, students are learning from and collaborating with minority and low-income communities to realize their goals for a cleaner, more prosperous, and livable environment.

This year, the inaugural class of fellows include:

Aeden Keffelew | Lights, Camera, Green
A Public Policy masters student, Aeden is interning with the nonprofit Kounkuey Design Initiative to use her filmmaking skills to document narratives from BIPOC Angelenos about the Pacoima Wash as an environmental and social amenity. Aeden will also work with us and the USC Schwarzenegger Institute to reduce the environmental footprint of film production.
Monika Shankar | Green Zones for Environmental Justice
An Urban and Regional Planning masters student, Monika is assessing progress of Clean Up Green Up in Los Angeles, one of the first environmental justice land use policies secured by grassroots groups. Monika’s work will inform actions by the LA Mayor Garcetti’s Office, her project client, to implement and potentially expand this landmark initiative.
Tayler Ward | Environmental Health in Black Communities
A dual degree graduate student in Public Health and Urban and Regional Planning, Tayler is working with us at LCI along with other civic collaborators to organize a symposium on how environmental policies and investments in California have impacted Black communities and what improvements could be made.

Research Fellowship for Environmental Justice

We are also expanding the number of research fellowships that we provide to UCLA graduate students, also with a focus on first-generation Bruins, students of color, and other underrepresented groups. Fellows receive guaranteed employment at LCI conducting research to inform environmental policy.

Current fellows include:

Graduate Research Grant Recipients

Each year LCI provides financial support for students’ capstone projects, allowing them to expand their applied environmental justice or sustainability projects.

Examples of students and their projects from 2020:

Graduate Student Researchers

The Luskin Center’s student researchers play a critical role in shaping environmental policy and programs to be effective, equitable and innovative. After graduating, many of these students go on to work for government agencies, environmental organizations, and other civic partners. But we are also delighted when others transition into positions at LCI and elsewhere at UCLA.

Congratulations to the following graduate student researchers on their new positions at UCLA:

Please help us increase support for the emerging environmental leaders shaping a more environmentally sustainable and equitable future.

MAKE A GIFT

To discuss these opportunities, please contact Colleen Callahan, deputy director, at ccallahan@luskin.ucla.edu.

Field Fellowship for Environmental Justice

Aeden Keffelew | Lights, Camera, Green

Monika Shankar | Green Zones for Environmental Justice

Tayler Ward | Environmental Health in Black Communities

Research Fellowship for Environmental Justice

Richard Diaz | Bringing Data Skills to Support the Clean Transportation Transition

Elena Hernandez | Supporting Transformative Climate Communities

Samantha Nuno | Fighting Fire with Research

Graduate Research Grant Recipients

Daniel Coffee

Maggie Faigen

Jinny Lee Milani

Candice Richardson

Anabelle Teresa Rosser

Sharon Sand

Meagan Wang

Graduate Student Researchers

Silvia González

Bo Liu

Daniel Coffee

Deja Thomas