Hard work and grit characterize Jenny Renee. No stranger to challenges, Jenny has traversed an untraditional path and become an enthusiastic advocate for ocean conservation.

For Jasmmine Ramgotra, dance is a way to engage with the community, and a means to express tough social and environmental issues we face in today’s society. She’s looking to shift the culture of dance away from abstraction, in order to lead the way for a more connected and inclusive tomorrow.

Congratulations to Environmental Studies student, Kristen Smith, one of UW’s 2017 Husky100!

The Husky100 recognizes outstanding students on all three University of Washington campuses who are making the most of their time in college and exhibiting leadership, passion and drive. As interim provost and executive director Jerry Baldasty notes, this honor is reflective of the caliber and spirit of a student body that “gain the skills they need to prepare for rewarding careers in industry, community and life.”
Kristen has a passion for environmental education and fostering environmental stewardship in young students. 

Encouraging students to examine their personal impact on the environment by carrying their waste for a week is just one way Program on the Environment lecturer Kristi Straus pushes the envelope when it comes to teaching students about sustainability.
To honor her dedication to engaging students with innovative teaching curriculum and methods, Kristi has been awarded the Center for Teaching and Learning Distinguished Teaching Award, one of the highest recognitions at the University. 

Shruti Parikh is a junior at UW, majoring in Environmental Studies and Environmental Sciences and Resource Management (ESRM), with a QSCI minor. She’s lived in Washington for the majority of her life and is passionate about good air quality.
She recently won a Mary Gates Research Scholarship for her research on using plants to purify air and reduce pollutants such as arsenic, a known carcinogen. 

Student Spotlight
UW Environment’s Leah Litwak champions better food assistance integration at local farmers markets
Environmental Studies student Leah Litwak cares about increasing access to healthy food for all. Read about her efforts to facilitate use of food assistance programs at farmers markets. 

What might Environmental Studies student Angela Feng and the internationally known Seattle hip-hop star Macklemore have in common?
Angela Feng is passionate about environmental education and raising awareness about the level of pollution in the Duwamish river. Read about her efforts to elevate this issue with the assistance of a well known local musician.