Alumni
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Katherine Ambrose
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Katherine Ambrose graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Policy and a minor in Economics. Before investigating economic and stakeholder impacts of utility-scale solar in the Midwest, she worked with the Edgewater Environmental Coalition to develop local environmental stewardship initiatives, and on the Lakota People’s Law Project to anthologize cultural burdens of oil extractivism. Her research interests at Loyola included solar energy programs, eco-gentrification and urban food insecurity, and the intersection of energy law and aviation. Katherine currently works at the Illinois Power Agency to support clean energy research and development.
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Amelia Bergbower
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Amelia Bergbower worked as a researcher with the Michaud Energy Policy Research Group as an undergraduate student at Loyola University Chicago while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Engineering with an environmental specialization. Previously, Amelia received an associate’s degree from Joliet Junior College, where she participated in canvassing for the Clean Energy and Jobs Act (CEJA), chaired the Sustainability Union, and acted as the Student Sustainability Intern on campus. At Loyola, she was the president of Engineers for Social Justice, the marketing chair for Women in Science and Mathematics, and had a research fellowship studying the behavior of anaerobic digesters in an urban campus setting. She now works for Ridgeline Energy Analytics as an engineer where she supports the Illinois Power Agency in expanding solar projects throughout the state. She has an accreditation to inspect photovoltaic sites and further works to calculate energy savings with heat pumps and lighting.
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Claire Bonham
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Claire Bonham earned an MS in Environmental Science and Sustainability with a concentration in Sustainable Business at Loyola University Chicago’s School of Environmental Sustainability. She also earned a BS in Marine Biology and Environmental Studies from Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Florida where she researched the genetic expression of the parasite Dero hylae and was the president of the on-campus sustainability organization. Before her time at Loyola, she interned at the International Crane Foundation where she assisted in raising chicks for release, as well as monitored the Wisconsin population of whooping cranes. Her research and career interests include sustainable development and the biological and social implications of large-scale renewable energy installations and energy policy.
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Austin "Auzi" George
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Austin “Auzi” George is pursuing a BA in Environmental Policy with a minor in Urban Studies. Before coming to Loyola University Chicago, Auzi was invited to the Washington Youth Summit for the Environment. There, he developed an interest in the intersection between the environment, social justice, and law and policy. At Loyola, he has continued to pursue these interests, evidenced by his role as senator in the Sustainability and Governance Committees of the Student Government. He has also conducted research through LUROP to investigate the possibility of a climate and energy systems lab within the SES. His career interests include law and policy, international relations, city planning, and sustainability management.
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Davis Giordano
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Davis Giordano is an undergraduate student pursuing a BS in Environmental Science: Environmental Health at Loyola University Chicago. In addition to having conducted research for renewable energy projects in the Midwest and their economic impacts, his research interests include innovative systems for sustainable agriculture, the mitigation of water and air pollution in underrepresented communities, renewable energy policy implementation, and the broader intersections of sustainability and public health.
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Sampson Hao
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Sampson Hao was a graduate student at the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago, earning his master’s degree in Environmental Science & Sustainability. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Ecology & Evolutionary Biology from the University of Rochester. At Loyola, Sampson completed his masters thesis on the property value impacts of utility-scale solar projects in the Midwest. Prior to moving to Chicago, Sampson worked on many applied, energy related research projects for partners such as Pattern Energy, the Sustainable Ohio Public Energy Council (SOPEC), and The Nature Conservancy. Sampson works as a Project Developer at Recurrent Energy in Chicago, and he received the John and Barbara Yellott Award from the American Solar Energy Society in 2023.
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Dottie Nesbitt
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Dottie Nesbitt worked as a researcher with the Michaud Energy Policy Research Group as a graduate student in the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago, where she earned a master’s degree in Environmental Science & Sustainability with a concentration in law and policy. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Conservation Biology and Environmental Studies from Illinois State University, at which Dottie worked in a lab studying parent-offspring interactions between house sparrows and poison dart frogs. Dottie has also worked on several wind energy facilities, studying the effects that turbines have on local species of bats and birds. Her research interests include the effects that environmental policy changes have on local wildlife and the transition from the use of fossil fuels to renewable energy.
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Olivia Rodriguez
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Olivia Rodriguez graduated from the School of Environmental Sustainability at Loyola University Chicago with a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science: Food Systems and Sustainable Agriculture. Her research interests at Loyola included sustainable infrastructure, solving food scarcity issues for underserved populations, and the energy-agriculture nexus. Currently, Olivia travels around the Midwest as an associate utility-scale solar energy developer for the Chicago-based company Ranger Power, where she helps with site selection, land acquisition, permitting, and community outreach. Olivia has been serving in the U.S. Army as a combat medic since 2017, where she’s won awards for her leadership.
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Marilla Smith
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Marilla Smith earned a BS in Environmental Science and an MS in Environmental Science and Sustainability with a concentration in environmental law and policy. In addition to having conducted research at Loyola University Chicago on utility-scale solar, she was a research fellow with the Solar and Storage Industries Institute (SI2) where she worked on a project investigating the barriers to agrivoltaic deployment, especially in rural communities. Marilla has also interned with Clean Wisconsin, Loyola Urban Agriculture, and the Rock County (WI) Public Health Department. Her research interests include the social dimensions of large-scale renewable energy development and the intersection of renewable energy and agriculture, with a particular focus on the Midwest. She currently works as a Research Analyst with the Region 1 Planning Council in Rockford, Illinois.
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Kylie Terpening
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Kylie Terpening was an undergraduate student who earned BA in Environmental Studies with a minor in Sociology at Loyola University Chicago. In addition to conducting research on renewable energy, Kylie worked with LUROP to research green infrastructure systems and stormwater management across Chicago Public Schools and surrounding communities. Her research and career interests include environmental policy, environmental education, and their impacts on sustainable development.