Climate Policy
Fellows Programs

Al Jaber is an Applied Mathematics major with a minor in Economics who will be continuing his undergraduate studies during the 2026–2027 academic year. He is originally from Chittagong, a major port city in Bangladesh, where he was raised in a family that values both education and entrepreneurship. His father is a businessman and his mother is a government school teacher. He is deeply interested in climate-related issues, particularly Arctic changes, El Niño patterns, and ocean currents. Professionally, he aims to work with data and mathematical models to better understand and predict climate systems. Outside academics, he enjoys exploring new places, learning about different cultures, and is a foodie.

Andre is a Macaulay Honors College student in his senior year majoring in Biology with a minor in Psychology. Born and raised in Queens, he grew up around diverse communities and aims to serve similar communities in the future as a pediatrician or physiatrist. He is a proud Filipino-American and served as the Philippine American Organization’s president during the 2025-2026 school year. He is particularly interested in the effects of climate change on coastal areas in the Philippines as well as studying how climate change disproportionately affects the health of particular areas in New York. Outside of CCNY, he enjoys playing volleyball, trying new foods, and cooking.

During the 2026–2027 school year, Anton Nikitin is a junior pursuing a degree in Mechanical Engineering at CCNY. Born in Ukraine and raised across Peru and Spain, Anton brings a global perspective to
engineering and a deep commitment to equality and climate preservation. Values that inspired the path toward aerospace
engineering.
Anton is the founder and Vice President of Grove School Racing, a student organization competing in Formula SAE that creates opportunities for CCNY students to compete at a national level.
A self-described aerodynamicist with a strong design sensibility, he is passionate about the intersection of form and function. Outside of
academics, Anton is a former professional surfer, bringing the same drive and precision from the waves to the engineering lab.

Areeba is a rising junior majoring in Computer Engineering and Applied Mathematics. She is passionate about leveraging data analysis to address pressing environmental issues. With a strong foundation in computational methods and mathematical modeling, Areeba is particularly interested in using representative data to create technology and develop innovative solutions for climate change.

I am a student here at CCNY studying Environmental Engineering, I graduated from Suffolk County Community College with my associates of science in Environmental Science. I grew up near the coast, and I watch the aftereffects of storms and see that the streets would be flooded for up to a week afterword, these experiences in my childhood made me interest in climate change and wanted to go to college for environmental science. Later, I realized I was more interested in the engineering side, and I wanted to see connect my Environmental Science background into that so when I transferred to CCNY I switched to Environmental Engineering and learn more about concentrations in the major.
Christopher Castillo is a junior at The City College of New York, majoring in Environmental Engineering. Christopher is a first-generation Mexican-Ecuadorian American college student, born in Manhattan, NY and raised on Long Island. He is interested in working for the public sector. He hopes to one day to inspire other future Hispanic Americans to go to post-secondary education.
Aside from their studies, Chris enjoys hanging out with his friends, sleeping, and listening to stories while playing video games.

Elizabeth Moore is a rising junior at the Spitzer School of Architecture. Growing up surrounded by nature, she developed a strong appreciation for the environment and chose to study architecture out of curiosity about the built world. After learning that building and construction take up over a third of the world’s energy, her focus shifted toward adaptive reuse, passive cooling, and sustainability. Through her participation in AIAS Design-Build community projects and assistant teaching at the Spitzer Woodshop, Elizabeth has developed many skills in reusing materials and proper craftsmanship. These experiences have helped her connect her architectural training with her environmental values, especially in designing toward net-zero goals. Elizabeth is honored to be a part of the Climate Policy program, where she can continue to expand her knowledge of climate-compatible design.

Elizabeth enjoys working out, journaling, reading, playing instruments, and backpacking in her free time.

Faith Naworu is a fourth-year student in the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership, majoring in Sociology with a focus on urban issues and a minor in Public Policy. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, she is interested in how the built environment impacts everyday life, particularly in relation to walkability, transit, housing, gentrification, and accessibility. She also has a background in business and information systems, which connects to her interest in maps and how data can be used to understand cities. As a Climate Policy Fellow, Faith hopes to explore the intersection of climate policy and urban planning. She plans to pursue a career as a lawyer focused on land use and urban development. Outside of academics, she enjoys traveling, exploring coffee shops, baking, and her work as a beauty industry professional.

Jorge Alvarez Morel is a sophomore studying Architecture at the City College of New York’s Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture. Born in the Dominican Republic and raised in the Bronx and Queens, Jorge brings a dual perspective to his work. one shaped by the vibrant, nature-rich landscapes of the Caribbean and the dense, underserved urban neighborhoods of New York City. He is passionate about designing spaces that allow communities to escape their environment, breathe easier, and see the world through a renewed lens. Jorge hopes to use architecture as a tool for climate resilience and environmental justice, creating nature based solutions for communities that have historically been left out of the design conversation. Outside of the studio, he stays grounded through the gym, camping, traveling, playing sports, and drawing. Pursuits that continuously inspire his creative vision and connection to the world around him.

Liliana is a junior double majoring in Psychology and Jewish Studies, with a minor in French. After college, she plans to go to law school in hopes of becoming an environmental lawyer. She has been passionate about the environment and sustainability since she was a kid in Bronx Zoo Camp. That passion deepened when she moved from Queens to the Hudson Valley in upstate New York, where she lived a stone’s throw away from beautiful forests and the breathtaking Hudson river. She is particularly interested in water rights and ensuring that everyone has access to clean water, and believes strongly in the idea that “water is life.” In her free time, she enjoys reading, sewing, and spending time with family and friends.

Maysara will be a second-year Civil Engineering major at the Grove School of Engineering during the 2026–2027 school year, with a focus in Environmental and Water Resources. Born and raised in the Bronx, she is Bengali and a first-generation college student whose background has shaped her commitment to community-centered change. Her passion for environmental sustainability has been fueled by her firsthand experiences with urban infrastructure, public health, and pollution in underserved neighborhoods. She is especially interested in water quality, climate resilience, and creating safer, more sustainable spaces for communities like her own. Professionally, Maysara hopes to use engineering to address environmental challenges and improve access to clean, reliable infrastructure. Outside of academics, she enjoys collecting perfumes, reading, journaling, and building LEGO sets.

Michelle Madera is a senior double majoring in Applied Mathematics and Italian. She is deeply passionate about employing math for the climate. Michelle has researched glacial recession at the Florida Institute of Technology, permafrost melt through the Mathematics Department at CCNY, and pollutants through ocean currents at The Scripps Institution of Oceanography. She loves to swim in the ocean, read fantasy or Italian literature, and spend time with her family. Michelle was incredibly fortunate to spend a semester abroad in Venice, Italy where she made lifelong friends, ate wonderful food and saw incredible architecture. After graduation, Michelle plans to continue upholding climate resilience through doctoral studies in computational mathematics, with her research focused on climate phenomena.

Romulus is a rising junior who is double-majoring in mechanical engineering and economics and is part of the Macaulay Honors College. He is from Ridgewood, Queens, and comes from a Polish and Japanese ethnic background. I am interested in climate change policy due to my love of nature and my interest in data science. Some of his hobbies include rock climbing and traveling to different national parks.

Sharnali Das is a resilient second-year Honors Student majoring in Civil Engineering, with a concentration in Environmental & Water Resources. Her journey is influenced by her experiences as a Bangladeshi immigrant and her outstanding background in Architectural Engineering, both of which aim to address disparities across environments and human design. As a woman of color and aspiring engineer, Sharnali is keenly striving to break the systemic barriers against marginalized voices in STEM fields. She aims to apply her growing knowledge to addressing such issues in the engineering world, with sustainability as one of her main missions. Alongside these aspirations, Sharnali loves traveling, music, and wants to learn as many languages as possible.

Sonika Rawal is an undergraduate student majoring in Mechanical Engineering at The City College of New York. She is an international student from Nepal, where she grew up in an urban environment that shaped her early curiosity about infrastructure, and energy systems. After moving to New York City, her interests expanded toward energy systems in dense urban settings and the role of local policy in shaping climate outcomes. She is particularly interested in energy and sustainability, with a growing focus on how climate policy and engineering intersect to create practical solutions for cities. Professionally, she hopes to work in sustainable energy systems and contribute to climate resilience and clean energy transitions at both local and global scales. Outside academics, she enjoys exploring New York City and engaging with engineering and sustainability communities.