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Welcome to the NIC School!Meet your amazing POD Leaders

Jennifer Lamy:I am in the Environmental Economics and Policy (EEP) concentrationwith a focus on food systems. I am mostly interested in agriculturalinnovation as it applies to food security and international sustainabledevelopment, but have also enjoyed studying domestic food policy andthe world of food distribution, safety, and waste. My MP focuses onthe impacts of drought-related crop failures on nutritional outcomes inTanzania.This summer I am a data analysis intern for the Monitoring andEvaluation team at USAID’s Bureau for Food Security. I’m working on afew projects, including developing new guidelines for target-settingprocedures. I’m also enjoying exploring DC, attending events onsustainable development, and rowing on the Potomac.I graduated from Wellesley College in 2013, where I studied economicsand environmental studies and rowed on the varsity crew team. Istudied abroad in Kenya and Tanzania with the School for Field Studies’program in Wildlife Management Studies, which sparked my interest inthe complicated world of nutrition, international development, andthe environment. After graduating from college, I spent a year workingin Boston and then a year helping out on farms in Tuscany. I am avegan and a coffee addict, and I love talking about the outdoors,endurance sports, areal dance, Disney Channel Original Movies, and(you guessed it) all things food.

Eric Russman:Hello there! My name is Eric Russman. I’m from Charlotte, NC and a2nd year MEM in the Ecotoxicology and Environmental Health (EEH)concentration. After finishing my undergraduate degree at Duke in2012, I worked as an environmental consultant for a geotechnicaland environmental engineering firm in Charlotte. My currentacademic interests lie in water quality issues, toxicology, riskassessment, contamination remediation, geology, andhydrology. During the summer, I worked with the SouthernEnvironmental Law Center through the Stanback InternshipProgram to address coal ash issues in Tennessee and also startedwork on my master’s project, which will investigate the associationbetween coal ash ponds and hexavalent chromium levels in surfaceand groundwater. Outside of class, I enjoy basketball watching,basketball playing, going to Durham Bulls games, exploringDurham's restaurants and bars, cooking, eating, intramural sports,and attending FOREM activities. Being a being a North Carolinianand former Duke undergrad, I am very familiar with all that Durhamhas to offer and I'm well versed in the "life of hacks" ofattending Duke and living in Durham. I am also a Co-Head Usher forthe Graduate Student section at Duke Basketball games. So, if youhave questions about Duke Basketball or Duke in general, don’thesitate to ask!

Elena Clemencon-Charles:Hi first years!My name is Elena Clemencon-Charles andI am a second year Energy and theEnvironment student. I'm originally fromCalifornia which is also where I got myundergraduate degree in history andmath. In my free time I like to do yoga,watch copious amounts of Netflix(preferably with friends) and occasionallydabble in some light swordplay as well.Feel free to reach out and say hi anytime.

Meredith Frenchmeyer:Hi! My name is Meredith Frenchmeyer, and I am a secondyear Ecotoxicology and Environmental Health MEM. I loveall things toxicology and environmental Chemistry and I amplanning on working in environmental consulting after thisyear. When I’m not at the Nic school I love watching theDurham Bulls, drinking coffee and reading on my porch,and exploring downtown Durham. Looking forward tomeeting everyone!

Sarah DeLand:My name is Sarah DeLand and I am looking forward towelcoming you to the Nic School! I am a CEM studentand I am earning the geospatial analysis certificate.Growing up in Washington State, I always had a love foranything related to the oceans. To pursue this passion, Iearned my Bachelor's of Science in marine biology atWestern Washington University. While there, I spent asummer in Beaufort, North Carolina, working in NOAA'sProtected Species Branch on sea turtle research. Duringthat summer internship, I fell (even more) in love withsea turtles and their conservation, and wanted to helpprotect them. For my master's project, I am assessingthe number and severity of injuries observed on femaleleatherbacks nesting on the beaches of the Sandy PointNational Wildlife Refuge in St. Croix. I spent this pastsummer there doing night surveys for these females andtook photos of the injuries observed. I am interested inthe conservation of species and their habitats,particularly of sea turtles, and in using geospatial toolsto promote sustainable use of coastal environments. Inmy spare time, I enjoy reading, baking, hiking, andkayaking. I am looking forward to getting to know all ofyou, and am here to help in any way that I can!

Emily Hall:My name is Emily Hall and I am asecond year Coastal EnvironmentalManagement candidate. Being fromLong Island, NY I have always loved thecoast and enjoyed being on the beachas much as possible. For myundergraduate degree, I went to theSUNY College of Environmental Scienceand Forestry in Syracuse, NY andmajored in Conservation Biology. Mycurrents interests at the NicholasSchool are in coastal and marine spatialplanning, coastal tourism anddevelopment, and coastlineagriculture. This summer I am interningat the South Carolina CoastalConservation League (part of theStanback Internship Program) as a LandConservation and SustainableAgriculture Intern. In my spare time, Ireally enjoy being outdoors, cookingand trying new restaurants, and playingvolleyball.

Justine Huetteman:Hi y’all! My name is Justine Huetteman, andI’m a 2nd year MEM student in theEnvironmental Economics & Policyconcentration. I'm interested in air qualitymanagement and climate change, and mygoal is to work for the federal governmentcreating and analyzing air policy. Thissummer, I'm interning at EPA in Washington,DC in the Office of Air and Radiation.Specifically, I’m working with the group thatoversees nationwide emissions tradingprograms and emissions data collection. Igraduated from George WashingtonUniversity with a degree in Political Sciencein the spring of 2015. In my free time, I(shamelessly) watch a lot of Netflix, but Ialso enjoy reading and hanging out withfriends. I grew up in Atlanta, GA, but DC hasbeen my home for the last 5 years. I’m reallylooking forward to meeting y’all and helpingyou get acclimated to the Nic School!

Nathan Walker:Nathan Walker is in the EcosystemScience and Conservation concentration,and is pursuing a certificate in GeospatialAnalysis. His academic interests includewildlife conservation, GIS, habitat andconnectivity modeling, landscapeecology, and conservation planning. Heis currently the Secretary to the NicholasSchool Student Council, President of theStudent Association for GeospatialAnalysis, and an Event Planner for theDuke Conservation Society. Many of youmay know him as the person who sentout your mentor assignments, a processthat – reflecting the fact that he’s beenat the Nicholas School for a year now –involved Access databases, mail merges,and R code.

Breanna Crowell:My name is Breanna Crowell. I grew up north of Atlanta, graduatedfrom the University of Georgia, and am now concentrating in WaterResource Management here at the Nicholas School! I worked in theDuke Wetland Center lab last year and am interested in water qualitymanagement, environmental health, watershed planning, and streamand wetland restoration. I also enjoy environmental education andoutreach, so I’m hoping my future job will include that too. I took ayear off in between undergrad and grad school and spent the timeworking in environmental education on Jekyll Island, GA, as well as atDisney’s Animal Kingdom, which were both awesome experiences!For the summer, I’ve been interning with a non-profit called SoundRivers that’s located in Washington, NC. The organization formed froma merger between the Neuse and Pamlico-Tar River Foundations and isinvolved in advocacy work surrounding the conservation and protectionof those two rivers which drain about 25% of North Carolina (includinga good part of the Raleigh-Durham area). In my free time, I likewatching sports, hiking, playing tennis, reading, and watching HGTVwith my roommate Katie in our mostly undecorated apartment. I alsodream about the day that Georgia football will finally win the nationalchampionship again hopefully at some point during my lifetime.Looking forward to meeting all of you!

Diego Calderon-Arrieta:Hey everyone! My name is Diego Calderon-Arrieta. I’m afirst-generation Peruvian-American student at this school,pursuing the Ecosystem Science & Conservation track. Ihave been developing skills in ArcGIS and now seeking tolearn more about climate change world summits in thisupcoming year. My interests include video games, swingdance, Latin dance, reading, hiking, and board games(Settlers of Catan!). Outside of the Nic School, I alwaysattend Duke Swing’s beginner lessons & social danceevents at the Wilson Gym. I also go to Duke Sabrosura’slessons & social events every week, as well as go to CubanRevolution’s Thursday night salsa nights. I am also a 2ndyear representative for master’s students in the Graduate& Professional Student Council (GSPC), the pan-grad/profschool student council organization, and I am on theDiversity Committee, working to improve diversity &inclusion efforts both at the Nic School and at the other 8schools. I am currently-considering pursuing a Ph. D.education in climate justice, which is all about giving voiceand representation to the disenfranchised communitiesof the world who are already forced to adapt to theconsequences of climate change.

Katie Myers:My name is Katie Myers and I am in theEcosystem Science and Conservation (ESC)concentration, although I somehow seem toslip into a lot of Environmental Economics andPolitics (EEP) courses. I chose ESC specificallyfor its emphasis on conservation—I spent mychildhood frequenting State and NationalParks, so natural spaces are very near and dearto me. More recently, I’ve been thinking abouthow I can bring my NicSchool know-how backto my home state of Texas. Since 97% of ourland is privately owned, I’ve been looking a lotat the tools that conservationists can use whenworking with private landowners to encouragestewardship of natural resources andecological systems. This summer, I went backto my hometown of Austin to work for anonprofit that connects with landowners in theHill Country region on a number of naturalresource issues, most prominently watershedmanagement. I hope to fold this experienceinto my Master's Project on private landsconservation.