Fellow Story

Berkeley featured new Fellows Christian Casillas, Jessica Shade, Ryan Shaning Pokrasso and Kendra Klein on the Graduate Division site.

Fellow(s): Christian Casillas, Jessica Shade, Ryan Shaening Pokrasso, Kendra Klein

At Berkeley, each receiving $15,000 to complete their degrees and advance their skills, are four after the foundation’s heart:

  • Christian Casillas, a Ph.D. student in Energy and Resources who is working to equip communities with the knowledge to solve their environmental problems;
  • Kendra Klein, who wants to use her Environmental Science, Policy, and Management Ph.D. to create ecologically resilient, economically viable, and socially just food systems (Kendra won the Graduate Division’s Outstanding GSI Award in 2011);
  • Jessica Shade, who hopes, with her Integrative Biology Ph.D., to contribute to ecosystem restoration science through research and field studies (Jessica won the Graduate Division’s Outstanding GSI Award in 2009 and the Teaching Effectiveness Award in 2010); and
  • Ryan Shaening Pokrassso, who aims, armed with his J.D. in Environmental Law, to serve underrepresented communities impacted by irresponsible industry practices.

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Meet the Fellows in this Story

Christian Casillas

Christian Casillas

2011 Fellow
My work focuses on helping to build learning and energy systems that support people to live more sustainably. I have been involved in various aspects of design, testing, and implementation of renewable energy systems in the United States...
Katrina Schneider

Jessica Shade

2011 Fellow
Dr. Jessica Shade is a National Program Leader at USDA NIFA, in the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability, Division of Plant Systems – Production. In this role, she directs programs helping food and agriculture stakeholders...
Ryan Shaening Pokrasso

Ryan Shaening Pokrasso

2011 Fellow
Ryan Shaening Pokrasso is the Founder of SPZ Legal, P.C. SPZ is a Bay Area based firm that provides legal and strategic consulting to entrepreneurs, with a particular focus on helping those with a social or environmental mission. Prior to...
Kendra Klein

Kendra Klein

2011 Fellow
Kendra is a writer, researcher, and advocate whose work focuses on the nexus of sustainable food systems and public health. She is currently Staff Scientist in Agroecology & Environmental Health at Friends of the Earth. She is also a...