Fuels & Fire Team –
Kate Aldridge is a Senior at UO majoring in Environmental Science with a minor in biology. After graduation, she hopes to use the skills she gained in ELP towards a career in field botany. Kate also wants to pursue a masters program in botany upon graduation from the UO. Throughout her in college years she has worked with Eugene Parks and Open spaces and Willamalane, using plant identification skills to assist in their projects.
Thomas Brugnara is a Junior at UO majoring in Environmental Studies, with a minor in Earth Science. Thomas is passionate about forest ecology, land management, fire behavior, and ecological monitoring. After graduating, he is looking to pursue a career in habitat conservation or ecological monitoring. In his free time, Thomas likes to spend time outdoors rock climbing, hiking, or camping.
Alyssa Cano is double majoring in Environmental Studies and Sociology, with a minor in Geography. Alyssa will be graduating from the University of Oregon in 2023. She has found a passion for cartography and exploring different GIS programs. She is familiar with ArcGIS Pro, QGIS, and Mapbox Studio which incorporates coding using CSS, HTML, and JavaScript. After graduating, Alyssa plans to build her career around GIS-incorporated work and connect her GIS skills to her environmental passions which include natural resource management, environmental restoration, and environmental justice. In her free time, Alyssa enjoys rock climbing, backpacking, and making ceramic pieces.
Connor Cooney is a Senior at UO majoring in Environmental Studies, with minors in Sustainable Business and Business Administration. Connor is passionate about natural resource management, ecological monitoring, pollution response, and environmental disaster prevention. After graduating, he is looking to start a career in natural resource management while also continuing his part-time work in pollution response and facilities inspections. Outside of academics, Connor enjoys camping, traveling, and physical exercise.
Nico Gouveia is majoring in Spatial Data Science with an Environmental Studies minor and is graduating from the University of Oregon in 2023. Nico is interested in sustainable food production, environmental justice and the Degrowth movement. Nico is politically active on campus as an organizer with the Young Democratic Socialists of America and as a founding member of the UO Student Workers Union. Upon graduating, Nico plans to work at a waste mitigation nonprofit, to continue efforts to strengthen the labor movement and to travel.
Grace Johnson is a Junior at UO majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Landscape Architecture, as well as a concentration in sustainable urban design. Grace is passionate about fire science, natural resource management, and making outdoor recreation accessible. After graduating, she hopes to pursue firefighting in California. Grace is active with club sports on campus, as an athlete and coach on the University of Oregon Olympic Weightlifting Team, and enjoys anything to do with the outdoors.
Sam Metzger is a Junior at UO majoring in Environmental Science. Sam is passionate about community ecology in both forests and grasslands, entomology, and communication. After graduating, they intend to pursue a career in field ecology before earning a Master’s Degree studying plant-insect interactions. Outside of school, Sam enjoys traveling, trail running, and reading.
Paul Phelan is a Senior at UO double majoring in Environmental Science and Geography and double minoring in Earth Science and Biology. Paul is interested in various aspects of natural science and how it intersects with planning and management. Outside of academics, Paul enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with his friends.
Noah Sary is a Junior at UO double majoring in Environmental Studies and Planning, Public Policy, and Management. Noah is passionate about climate mitigation and adaptation planning, environmental justice, and land management. After graduating, he is looking to pursue a career in urban planning, focusing on how to integrate biophilic design into the urban environment. Outside of academics, Noah enjoys soccer, tennis, and hiking/camping.
Fuels & Fire Project Manager –
Dhruv Modi
Dhruv’s interests lie on the borderline between science and politics. He has worked in conservation research studying big cats for the World Wildlife Fund in India and endangered sage grouse in Montana. Although he is yet to finalize a research topic, Dhruv wants to investigate the expanding space of political ecology with a focus on environmental decision making in democratic political institutions. To this end, he is looking for opportunities to study and write about the relationship between climate policy and scientific research.