Energy Resources & Access

Fellow

Gabriela Rodriguez

2022 Fellow
Inspired by her upbringing as a Latina and by the natural environments of Miami, FL, Gabriela works to center social equity in the clean energy transition by advancing equitable community engagement in decision-making around climate change to ultimately drive community power and support a Just Transition.
Fellow

Chelsi Sparti

2022 Fellow
Chelsi Sparti is an energy professional with 12+ years of experience in North America, the Caribbean, Asia, and Europe. She holds a Master’s of Energy and Resources from UC Berkeley, and a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from Point Loma Nazarene University. Chelsi currently works for Brookfield Renewable where she studies and responds to electricity policy, regulation, and markets in the Western United States.
Fellow

Nicholas Dorian

2022 Fellow
Nick is an ecologist, educator, and naturalist studying how native bees cope with the impacts of climate change in order to develop strategies for bee conservation. His public education efforts reconnect people with urban nature and teach them to support pollinators in their own yards.
Fellow

Natalia Aristizábal

2022 Fellow
Witnessing deforestation firsthand in Colombia motivated Natalia to become a conservation scientist. She now studies the connections between biodiversity, global change, and agriculture. Specifically, how climate and land-use change affect nature’s contributions to coffee production.
Fellow

Nishaila Porter

2022 Fellow
Nishaila studies urban resilience and the interdisciplinary role of policy. With experience in green infrastructure, she explores climate adaptation that prioritizes environmental justice. As a recent Revolutionary Power Fellow, she assisted with the Justice40 Initiative to ensure 40% of benefits flowed to disadvantaged communities nationally.
Fellow Story

Morello-Frosch publishes on historical racist redlining practices leading to higher exposures to oil and gas wells

The study adds to the evidence that structural racism in federal policy is associated with the disproportionate siting of oil and gas wells in marginalized neighborhoods, and an op-ed argues for considering this history in policy decisions about siting and leasing of new oil and gas drilling.
June 22, 2022
Fellow Story

Parker speaks on traditional ecological knowledge at fisheries conference

Salmon, sturgeon, lamprey and other fish have been keystone cultural species for Native American tribes of the Klamath River Basin for thousands of years. Keith's work merges the paradigms of traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) and western ecological knowledge to manage these species.
June 1, 2022
Fellow Story

Fellows to speak at University of California Center for Climate, Health and Equity launch

Several Switzer Fellows will speak in this virtual series of climate and health leaders discussing opportunities for building healthy and equitable communities and a healthier planet for future generations, including Naomi Beyeler, Rachel Morello-Frosch, Colleen Callahan and Shereen D'Souza.
May 17, 2022
Fellow Story

Zeller co-authors paper on climate change threats to the efficacy of global protected areas

Protected areas are essential to conserving biodiversity, yet changing climatic conditions challenge their efficacy. For example, novel and disappearing climates within the protected area network indicate that extant species may not have suitable climate in protected areas in the future.
May 17, 2022
Fellow Story

Sarah Smith promoted to Chief of Programs at Clean Air Task Force

Now a member of the senior leadership team, Sarah oversees CATF’s global programs, ensuring alignment with the organization’s broader strategy and vision. Prior to this role, Sarah spent a decade leading teams, forming coalitions, and spearheading successful policy campaigns at CATF.
May 17, 2022