I am a postdoctoral researcher in renewable energy, sustainability, and environmental policy, specializing in energy transition, climate justice, and critical mineral resource strategies. My work bridges academic research, policy advisory, and international collaboration to drive low-carbon economic transformation and sustainable development.
My research examines how green and critical minerals drive the global shift toward a just energy transition, combining technology economics with the sustainability and geopolitical dynamics of transition minerals. I also explore how smart grids and sustainable transportation (i.e electric vehicles), enhanced by digital innovations such as AI, IoT, and blockchain, can be integrated into advanced decision-making and economic models to design energy systems that are economically viable, socially equitable, environmentally sustainable, and politically feasible.

Tanya Jagdish is a PhD student in the Environmental Sciences & Society program at Emory University. Her research focuses on equitable climate change adaptation and resilience in the Global South, with a particular emphasis on South Asia. She is interested in how psychosocial, cultural, and economic factors shape decisions to relocate or remain in place in response to climate disasters, and how public policies and community structures can best support affected populations during and after these transitions.
Prior to starting her PhD, Tanya worked as a Climate Change and Sustainability Consultant at Ernst & Young (EY) in Denver, where she conducted climate risk assessments, modeled physical and transition risks, calculated corporate greenhouse gas emissions, and advised multinational clients on decarbonization strategies. She also contributed to climate action planning at the campus level through her undergraduate thesis.
With a background bridging quantitative methods, corporate consulting, and social science frameworks, Tanya brings an interdisciplinary lens to her work, aiming to connect theory with data-driven insights and applied policy solutions. Her broader goal is to inform national and international climate adaptation policies that center equity and justice for vulnerable communities.

Darby Osborne is a third-year undergraduate student at Emory University. She is pursuing a B.S. In Environmental Science on the Social Science and Policy track. She has worked with local government in her home state of Alaska to create and pass climate policy and hopes to continue learning about and shaping climate policy after graduating. She is particularly interested in climate mitigation strategies for rural and coastal communities. At Emory she is a member of Emory Climate Analysis and Solutions Team.

Anissa Patel is a third-year undergraduate at Emory, where she studies Environmental Science and Global Development Studies as both a Robert W. Woodruff Scholar and a Udall Scholar. She is passionate about advancing equitable, effective climate policy and solutions that bridge institutions and communities. She plans to pursue a career as an international climate mitigation lawyer with a focus on facilitating a just transition. She has experience working with nationwide nonprofits, government agencies, and political campaigns, from Citizens’ Climate Lobby to the Massachusetts Water Resources Commission. She currently researches international environmental law and climate adaptation solutions under two professors, with multiple forthcoming publications on managed retreat and hazard mitigation. She’s also deeply involved in university-wide environmental governance initiatives through SGA and the University Senate, where she leads the MARTA Pass Subsidy Pilot Program and advocates for more renewable energy across the Emory Enterprise. In her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors in her hometown in the Boston suburbs and camping all over the East Coast.

Wendy is a third-year undergraduate student and Golden Door Scholar in the Emory College of Arts and Sciences pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Science on the Social Science and Policy (SSP) track. She is interested in international accountability systems change; particularly how developed countries can develop reparation techniques for displaced Indigenous people around the world. Her passion for social justice guides her independent area of research on how neocolonial expectations of work affect marginalized communities' economic legacies. She has previously worked as a student intern at PIRGS, where she petitioned local governments, news, and community in favor of the Affordable College Textbook Act. At Emory, she hopes her role as DEI Managing Editor on the Emory Wheel will encourage historically underrepresented voices in journalism to engage in the media and make it a more equitable atmosphere.

River Somerville is a first year at the Emory College of Arts and Sciences aiming to study Environmental Science and History. They are particularly interested in environmental justice as it pertains to community-based solutions that equitably tackle the climate crisis. Increasing access to organic farming/gardening, green spaces and everything in-between especially piques their fancy. Their biggest hopes, research-wise, include being mentored by more-seasoned, interdisciplinarity-oriented students and faculty and gaining the tools and positive attitude to continue such applicable studies for many years to come. They also excitedly anticipate merging academics with getting to know Atlanta and its people!

Andreea is a second-year undergraduate at Emory College of Arts and Sciences, pursuing a B.A. in Political Science and Environmental Science. Growing up in Alabama's Appalachian Valley, she has developed a strong passion for advocating for the environmental well-being of underserved communities in the Southern U.S. In the lab, Andreea is eager to explore the impacts of data centers on these communities while striving to promote lasting political & social change that prioritizes climate justice. In her free time, she loves playing tennis with friends, running outdoors, and expressing her creativity through art.

Ilka Tona (27C) is an undergraduate student at Emory University, pursuing a B.S in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology with a minor in Applied Mathematics. Initially, she was drawn to climate justice as an intersectional approach to understanding the climate crisis and its uneven impact on marginalized communities, particularly within the Global south as a first-generation immigrant from Rwanda. Ilka is also interested in climate-conscious urban-planning solutions and building environmental resilience in vulnerable communities. With a wide array of interests, Ilka also assists in neuroscience research, writes articles for the Emory Wheel and can often be spotted at Emory’s student-run bike shop, the Fixie, as part of Emory Bike Social.

Maya Vizuete (Emory University 2028) is an undergraduate Woodruff Scholar studying Environmental Science and Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration on Urban & Architectural Studies. She is interested in the intersection of climate with the built urban environment, particularly urban planning and design, resilience planning, transit and housing, land use and public spaces, and environmental justice. At Emory, she serves as cofounder of Sunrise Movement Emory, Vice President of Emory Students for New Urbanism, and an editor for the Emory Political Review.

Skyler Zou is a junior at Emory University, majoring in Environmental Science on the Social, Science, and Policy (SSP) track with a double major in Economics. Her academic interests center on the intersection of environmental and economic systems, with a focus on exploring sustainable solutions. She is particularly interested in the ways urban planning, environmental justice, and environmental management can be integrated to promote sustainability, striving to understand and address the complex challenges cities face in balancing economic development with ecological stewardship.