About Us

Research team pictured with faculty advisor Professor Steven Yaffee.

In order to deliver a comprehensive and interdisciplinary analysis of utility-scale solar development in the California desert that also takes into consideration the input of multiple stakeholders, we assembled a group of individuals with diverse backgrounds, skill sets and professional experience. We brought together knowledge and expertise from a wide range of professional and academic areas, including environmental policy and planning, business and administration, GIS and spatial analysis, public policy, urban planning, and renewable energy technology. We also brought our experience in environmental policy research, project management, new product development, and advanced technology engineering to this research project. Below are brief profiles of our ten-member graduate student group.

Jesse Fernandes

Jesse Fernandes– Jesse received a B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Delaware and worked briefly for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control before returning to school in 2008. She recently completed an M.U.P. in Urban Planning from the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning, concentrating in Land Use and Environmental Planning. Jesse currently works for the United States Army Corps of Engineers as a Water Resource Planner.

 

Natalie Flynn

Natalie Flynn- Natalie received an M.S. in Environmental Policy and Planning from the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Her background in invasive species management, policy formation, and coalition building are the foundation on which she hopes to build her career in forest management.

 

Sam Gibbes

Sam Gibbes- Sam received an M.S. in Environmental Informatics from the School of Natural Resources and Environment. She has an extensive background using the GIS software ArcGIS and is currently seeking a job opportunity that focuses on the use of GIS models, spatial analysis, and statistics. She is interested in the application of GIS technologies towards climate change, the analysis of environmental data, and the study of natural hazards and natural disasters.

 

Matt Griffis

Matt Griffis-  Matt received a B.S. in Environmental Sciences from the University of California, Berkeley and an M.S. in Environmental Policy and Planning and Conservation Biology from the School of Natural Resources and Environment. With experience in outdoor recreation and natural resource management, he has worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and East Bay Regional Park District. Matt currently works for the Sierra Nevada Alliance.

 

Takahiro Isshiki

Takahiro Isshiki- Taka has more than eleven years of professional experience in engineering, material science research and development in the field of advanced solar technology.  Taka holds a B.S. from the University of California, Los Angeles in Chemical Engineering and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Sustainable Systems at the School of Natural Resources and Environment and an M.B.A. at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business.

 

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Laura Palombi

Laura Palombi- Laura's goal for her graduate work is to learn the art of business administration and integrate it with her working knowledge of ecology to develop a holistic approach to environmental problem solving. Her background in entomology and endangered species conservation is the foundation on which she is building her expertise in environmental policy, energy efficiency, and renewable energy industry development.

 

Nerissa Rujanavech- Nerissa has worked as a field biologist for several university-based research projects and she will be interning with The Nature Conservancy to create a Colorado prairie conservation management plan. Nerissa received a B.S. in Wildlife, fish, and Conservation Biology from the University of California, Davis and is currently pursuing an M.S. in Conservation Biology and Environmental Policy and Planning at the School of Natural Resources and Environment.

Nerissa Rujanavech- Nerissa received an M.S. in Conservation Biology and Environmental Policy and Planning from the School of Natural Resources and Environment. She has worked as a field biologist for several university-based research projects in California and Wyoming, and has interned with The Nature Conservancy Colorado and Sierra Forest Legacy. She received a B.S. in Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology from the University of California, Davis.

 

Sarah Tomsky

Sarah Tomsky– Sarah received an M.S. in Environmental Policy and Planning and Conservation Biology from the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Her graduate school education provided her with a strong foundation for understanding and balancing the political, social, and ecological complexities inherent in public lands management.  Sarah currently works for the US Forest Service, where she contributes directly to management and planning efforts affecting our National Forests and adjacent lands.

 

Meredith Tondro

Meredith Tondro– Merry has worked as a Land Use/Environmental Planner with the County of San Diego and for the City of Ann Arbor Energy Office as a research assistant to the Energy Programs Manager.  She received a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a minor in Earth Sciences and an M.S. in Sustainable Systems and Environmental Policy from the School of Natural Resources and Environment.