Embedded Files
Hello, I am Nihar Janga, a 17-year-old environmental enthusiast. A junior at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas, I am dedicated to exploring the world around me to connect with the beauty of nature and do my part in helping return the Earth return to its former healthy glory. You can catch me enjoying the calm of Lady Bird Lake on an intense row or harvesting native Texan seeds of the Hill Country. In my journey with the environment, I am serving as the Chair of the Youth Committee for Climate Action to lead legislative change against negative effects on our Earth’s climate. I have also founded a National Green Society chapter at my school to lead an environmental service project focused on cleaning waste around my community. This nonprofit is my way of tackling environmental issues with another set of issues I am passionate about, social justice.
Community Outreach Mentor - Dr. Leah Turner
Leah Turner, Ph.D. (she/her/hers) is the Director for GeoSTEM Career Exploration and Workforce Development at the University of Texas at Austin, Jackson School of Geosciences. Leah oversees the GeoFORCE Texas diversity outreach pipeline program and has a passion for creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive culture at the Jackson School. She serves as co-PI on a National Science Foundation GOLD-EN EAGER grant that focuses on mentorship of undergraduates and training a cohort of faculty and staff to be champions of diversity, bringing diversity to scale at the Jackson School.
Turner is a first-generation scholar, Hall of Fame student-athlete, and proud HBCU alumna of West Virginia State University. She earned her Ph.D. in Higher Education from Ohio University as a Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) Doctoral Scholar. Her primary academic interests involve research on the college choices of diverse and underserved student populations to address prominent higher education issues such as access, retention, degree completion, student involvement, and satisfaction. Her career portfolio includes positions in career development, youth outreach, student affairs, athletics, and academic affairs.
Curriculum Content Mentor - Mrs. Alyssa Kuklinski
My name is Alyssa Kuklinski, and I teach AP Environmental Science at Vandegrift High School in Austin, Texas. I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Geography. I enjoy learning about the environment and exploring nature!
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse