NRES LEAD Scholars Program

Alexa Cango Ruiz

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 3rd year

Minors: Biology and Indigenous Studies in Natural Resources and the Environment

I took on different projects throughout the year as I explored my interests in watershed protection, agricultural management and marine resources. This program has been instrumental in improving my communication skills and willingness to take initiative when working towards a project I am passionate about.

Anushe Irani

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 3rd year

Minor: Photography and Video

I am passionate about environmental justice, education and restoration. I plan to collaborate with local organizations on a project centered around those themes this year. I am deeply interested in exploring other areas within environmental management and look forward to expanding my knowledge in subjects such as water science and plant science through this program.

Amelia DeEulio

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 3rd year

Minors: Sustainable Environments, Land Rehabilitation and Restoration Ecology, and Indigenous Studies in Natural Resources

I joined LEAD Scholars in my second year at Cal Poly. So far, I’ve been working with SLO Canopy Crew, a student group connected to the Cal Poly Plant Conservatory focused on creating green spaces around campus and in the community. In addition, we host plant sales, tree planting events, seeding/transplanting workshops and more. I’ve also been working toward becoming a LEED Green Associate. This program has given me incredible networking opportunities and helped me work on my communication and time management skills.

Bahar Vasli

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023, 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Earth and Soil Science, 3rd year

With the LEAD Scholar Program's support, I’ve concentrated my efforts on waste reduction at Cal Poly’s dining hall, Vista Grande. By analyzing waste production and conducting student surveys, I tested compostable containers with San Luis Obispo’s anaerobic digester, aiding the city’s fuel generation. This shift from aluminum to compostable to-go containers has significantly advanced Cal Poly’s zero waste and sustainability goals. My current objective is to address the knowledge gap in proper waste sorting and waste reduction by working with local elementary schools to educate students — our future leaders and environmental stewards.

Collin Durfee

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 1st year

I am excited to be part of the program and the opportunity to me to meet like-minded students and working to make the world a better place! I love gardening, wildlife ecology, resource management, and just generally being outside. For my project, I have decided to reduce some of the waste associated with campus dining facilities. I hope to use the opportunities provided by this program to explore ways to make a difference.

Ella Wodrich

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 4th year

Minor: Biology 

This is my first year in the LEAD Scholar Program and I’m excited to be collaborating with the Morro Bay National Estuary Program. I’m contributing to an ongoing project that focuses on mapping and monitoring submerged vegetation in Morro Bay, with a special emphasis on eelgrass (Zostera marina). By utilizing GIS, remote sensing, and ground-truthing techniques, we aim to evaluate the distribution and health of eelgrass and other vegetation, supporting the Estuary Program’s long-term data collection and conservation efforts.

Erin Kennedy

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Environmental Earth and Soil Science, 2nd year

This is my first year with LEAD and currently I am partnering with Bahar Vasli on improving waste management and education within our local elementary schools in SLO. We hope to reduce the vast plastic waste associated with provided cafeteria lunches, the amount of untouched, whole food thrown away, and increase reusing/repurposing uneaten and unopened food in schools. Regarding professional development, I hope to discover new career pathways I previously had not considered or been interested in and find opportunities that LEAD will help me obtain.

Ezekiel Pearl

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023, 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 3rd year

Minor: Land Rehabilitation and Restoration Ecology

Through LEAD I am working with the Morro Bay Estuary Program to collect data on the recreational usage of the Morro Bay Estuary, along with water quality samples. I am working on this with my cohort member Sean Bernard and have experienced significant professional development through these endeavors.

Gabriella Lewis

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Environmental Earth and Soil Science, 1st year 

This is my first year in the NRES LEAD Scholars program. For my LEADs project, I am hoping to help make the Food Pantry more eco-friendly and limit the single-use plastic used there. For professional development, I am hoping to discover all the opportunities that Cal Poly has to offer and learn more career pathways. I am excited to be part of the LEAD program and meet other like-minded students!

Isabella Nava

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 3rd year 

Minor: Sustainable Environments

This is my first year with the NRES LEAD Scholars program. I’m excited to pursue projects on environmental education and restoration with local organizations and potentially water resource management in hopes of creating a collaborative project with them afterward. For my professional development, I plan to declare a second minor in Economics or Water Science, while continuing to network with consulting professional while continuing to network with consulting professionals and securing a summer position that aligns with my career interests.

Julian Durante

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 4th year

Minor: Land Rehabilitation and Restoration Ecology

My project, The SLO Canopy Crew, is a student group that focuses on all aspects of green space establishment. Housed within the Cal Poly Plant Conservatory, Canopy Crew collects seeds, grows, plants and maintains trees in our campus landscape. We host educational seminars on the importance of urban trees, with a focus on hardy species that will withstand California’s changing climate.

Student leadership roles include landscape manager, inventory manager, social media lead, events lead and more. Email jpdurant@calpoly.edu if you’d like to get involved.

Kaitlin Davey

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023, 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Earth and Soil Science, 3rd year

I joined the LEAD scholars my freshman year of college and have been working with a local nonprofit, Creek Lands Conservation, to create sixth grade environmental curriculum for local wetlands. I’ve been researching wetland education and cultivating complete lesson plans for a summer field trip in the Los Osos Creek Wetland Preserve and Morro Bay.

Keegan Fish

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Forest and Fire Sciences, 2nd year

Concentration: Wildlife Biology 

This is my first year in the Forest and Fire Sciences program, having switched from Plant Science during my freshman year. Additionally, I am a first-year participant in the NRES LEAD Scholars Program. For my project, I will be collaborating with local volunteer groups to restore the habitat of the IUCN red-listed Morro Bay shoulderband snail, a species threatened by invasive plant species. My efforts will focus on habitat restoration to support the recovery of this endangered snail population.

Kelsie Burruss

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 4th year

Minor: Biology

Upon joining the program, I partnered with Maddie Mouw to help her with mapping water fountains on campus. Our goal is to create an interactive map students can use to more easily locate water refill stations on campus and in turn reduce overall plastic consumption at Cal Poly. Being involved with LEAD, helped me develop professional skills as well. I have grown my network immensely through working on this project and talking with other scholars about their work.  Assistant Professors Yamina Pressler and Seeta Sistla have also greatly helped me with time management skills as well as resume and interview tips. This summer, I was able to get an internship in the biology department at Caltrans. The skills I learned in this program helped me reach this accomplishment.

Lotte de Jager

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Forest and Fire Sciences, 2nd year

I joined LEAD my first year at Cal Poly. My current project is to create a seed library for Cal Poly students. My goal is to educate students on native plants and seed saving. This program has improved my communication skills and facilitated my professional growth.

Luke Mendoza

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 4th year

Minors: Fruit Science and Plant Protection

I am working on analyzing waste efficiency and effective waste management on Cal Poly’s campus, pulling inputs from various perspectives, including students, faculty, and waste management experts in the San Luis Obispo community. The LEAD Scholars program has truly helped me network with professionals and strengthen my professional development and relationship skills. Thanks to the support of LEAD, I currently serve as the education lead for Skip The Grid, a construction management project at Cal Poly that travels to the Navajo Nation to electrify homes and install solar panels.

Madeline Mouw

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Earth and Soil Science, 4th year

Concentration: Geology

I transferred to Cal Poly from a small community college in Lake Tahoe in fall 2023. My first week on campus the weather was warm, and being new to Cal Poly I thought about how great it would be if there was a directory showing where all the water fountains were on campus. Low and behold, I was able to turn this idea into a project through the LEAD scholars program. The goal of this project is that a map will reduce the need for purchase of single use plastic bottles. It also has been fulfilling to apply what I have learned in GIS classes to a real life application.

Mariel Dawson

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major:Environmental Earth and Soil Science, 4th year 

I am excited to be in my 1st year with the NRES LEAD program and I am eager to apply my passion for sustainability and agroecology in my LEAD project. My project's goal is to raise awareness about the role of small farms in global food production, in collaboration with City Farm SLO. By comparing the nutritional value and caloric yield of food produced on small organic farms vs. large industrial agricultural operations, I aim to challenge common perceptions of agriculture. Attending the EcoFarm Conference in January with LEAD's professional development fund, will enable me to network with professionals, expand my knowledge in regenerative agriculture, and contribute to positive environmental change for local communities.

Sean Bernard

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 4th year

Minor: Land Rehabilitation and Restoration Ecology

I will be starting my second year in the LEAD scholar program where I will be continuing my work with the Morro Bay National Estuary program. Zeke Pearl and I do population surveys at various sites around the Morro Bay estuary to estimate recreational use and potential impacts to the sites. The LEAD program has allowed me to connect with other students in our department and has been an incredible experience.

Solana Herold

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 1st year 

Minor: Economics

This is my first year in LEAD. I will be working with Lotte to create a local seed library for the Cal Poly campus and surrounding community. LEAD has given me the opportunity to attend professional conferences including the Annual Wildlife Symposium in SLO, as well as focus my interests and allow me to dive deeper into concepts that I might not have considered beforehand.

Sophia Kast

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2024-25

Major: Environmental Management and Protection, 3rd year 

It’s my first year in LEAD, and I am currently volunteering with the Morro Bay Estuary Recreational Use project. My LEAD advisors have helped me define both my educational and professional development goals, including plans to declare a minor in Indigenous Studies in Natural Resources and applications to a variety of field study programs.

Sophia Slucky

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2023-24, 2024-25

Major: Environmental Earth and Soil Science, 2nd year

I joined the LEAD scholar program during my first year and have dedicated my project to mitigating receipt waste associated with campus dining. For professional development, I have contacted geology and NRES department professors to further my scientific research experience in the environmental sciences.

Melissa Evans

Years in LEAD Scholar Program: 2022, 2023-24

Major: Environmental Management and Protection

Minors: Biology, Packaging, and Sustainable Environments

I joined the first LEAD Scholar cohort during my third year of study in 2023. I have worked to enhance green spaces on campus and to increase the Sustainability Catalog course listing for the Orfalea College of Business. For professional development I also attended a regenerative farming and bamboo architecture program at a learning institution in Ecuador.