EDF Climate Corp Fellows summer program pairs grad students with companies and municipalities, empowering them to tackle the toughest climate challenges. From crafting tools for emissions reduction to electrifying fleets and securing renewable energy, our projects spearhead Climate Action.
Fellow: Brodie Roberts
Pursuing an MBA in Sustainable Solutions at Presidio Graduate School
Host: City of Orlando
About the Project: The fellow will contribute toward advancing environmental justice work across the City of Orlando's sustainability, resilience, and future-ready efforts. This role will include background research, current project analysis, and presentation of results and suggestions to strategically enhance the measurement of and goal-setting for social equity in both the Municipal Sustainability and Community Action Plans. Additional tasking will include assisting with annual greenhouse gas emission and climate initiatives submission to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) as a signatory of the Global Covenant of Mayors, with a strong focus on Energy Poverty and Access. The fellow will also aid in community outreach efforts regarding food insecurity (including a new urban farm and community garden in one of our local food deserts) pursuing a more grassroots approach toward an equitable tree canopy, and seeking to reduce energy burden across the community through a newly-established task force.
Fellow: David Mensah Sackey
Pursuing a PhD in Electrical Engineering at Florida A&M University
Host: East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
About the Project: The East Central Florida Regional Planning Council has committed to drafting the region’s first integrated climate action plan and pursuing a target rate of 4.5% annual growth of electric vehicle miles traveled. As part of that transition, the R2C is currently focusing on policies and standards, zero emission infrastructure and the transition as well as workforce development. The Climate Corp fellow will help advance the target and define commonalities between the regions established zero emission transition plans. In addition, the fellow will be responsible for evaluating, tracking and identifying (with initial execution) pathway opportunities in partnership with the R2C Greenhouse Gas Reduction as well as Infrastructure committees, Florida Solar Energy Center and Climate Pollution Reduction Grant team and other partners that will support, accelerate and supplement the region's first climate action plan already underway.
Fellow: Gregory Dessingue
Pursuing an MBA with a concentration in Sustainable Global Enterprise at Cornell University
Host: East Central Florida Regional Planning Council
About the Project: East Central Florida Regional Planning Council has committed to pursuing a regional SolSmart designation whom will assist with increasing local knowledge, reduce solar energy barriers and speed up solar market growth beyond the current target rate of 15 percent.
The Climate Corp fellow will help advance the target and be responsible for evaluating, tracking and identifying (with initial execution) pathway opportunities in partnership with the R2C Greenhouse Gas Reduction committee, Florida Solar Energy Center and Climate Pollution Reduction Grant team that will satisfy designation and supplement the region's first climate action plan already underway.
Fellow: Ana Gruendel
Pursuing a Master of Environmental Sustainability at Indiana University, O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs
Host: City of Saint Petersburg
About the project: The project aims to support evaluation of existing community and municipal transportation related emissions, municipal green fleet policy and adoption rate, and development of strategic initiatives to help the city increase active transit and transition to a zero emission fleet. The project will also bolster community education and awareness of the city’s initiatives and commitments and identify the current status of community-related transportation emissions, challenges, and opportunities in support of our Complete Streets and Integrated Sustainability Action Plan commitments.