ABOUT
Uniting Duke Around a Sustainable and Equitable Future
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Undergraduate Environmental Union
Duke Sustainability Administration and Facilities
Administrative partner offices, Campus Sustainability Committee, and Office of Sustainability
Local Communities
Durham and North Carolinian NGOs, community members, and officials
We serve as an advisory board for all environmental and sustainability programming, a facilitator of collaboration between Duke Environment, Duke's Sustainability Office, the Nicholas School for the Environment and environmental academic programs, sustainability facilities and administration, and Duke Student Government.
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Founded in 2018 and established as an official subcommittee within Duke Student Government in Fall 2019, the UEU is situated within DSG Cabinet with the support of the Director of Environmental Affairs and Policy.
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We host monthly "board" meetings that bring together representatives from all undergrad environmental groups to discuss upcoming events, initiatives, and opportunities for support or collaboration. We also meet with Sustainable Duke representatives, the Dean of the Nicholas School, and the Directors of Undergraduate Study for ENV, EOS, ECS, and Marine studies for semi-regular progress meetings.
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The UEU exists as both an advisory board and a unifying representative for all environmental clubs on campus. We are a support system for all things and all clubs Duke Environment and a resource connecting students to each other and to administration, providing advice and strategic support for undergrad programming. For those events or initiatives that are too big or complex for any single organization to take on, the UEU will act on behalf of all organizations, taking the lead on said program or project.
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Check out our "Initiatives" page for some of our projects. Take a look at our "Events" page to see all that Duke Environment is putting together.
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Who Are We?
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**Click on the different Duke entities for more information**
Isabel Wood
(she/her)
President
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Isabel is a senior majoring in Environmental Science and Policy with minors in Biology and Cultural Anthropology. She has been with the UEU as Communications Lead, Vice President, and now, as President. Isabel is excited to lead the UEU in creating strong coalitions on campus that support increased action around environmental and justice issues. She is most interested in political ecology, or studying the relationships between political, economic, and social factors as they pertain to environmental issues whether that be food systems, justice issues, or urban planning. Although she is a senior, Isabel is not sure exactly what she wants to do post-graduation, just that it needs to involve building a future that sustains ourselves, our natural and built environments, and our relationships with one another.
In addition to serving as President of the UEU, Isabel is a Rachel Carson Council Presidential Fellow, a part-time communications employee with the Rocky Mountain Institute, was one of the Project Directors for Project Earth, and is working on a senior thesis.
Isabel joined the UEU in Summer 2020.
Emily Nagamoto
(she/her)
Vice President
Emily is a junior looking to major in Earth & Climate Science and minor in Computer Science. With an interest in climate system dynamics, she is involved in climate science research on campus, as well as science communication work with the podcast Operation Climate. Also passionate about making sustainability accessible, she is working as a Green Devil intern this year and is excited to help put on the Devil’s Thrifthouse. She is planning on pursuing a graduate degree and working in climate research in the future, hoping to use her work to inform environmental policy.
Emily joined the UEU in Fall of 2020.
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Fareed Mohideen
(he/him)
Treasurer / Social Chair
Fareed is a junior studying Public Policy and Economics with a Finance concentration. He has overtaken roles such as Events Coordinator and now serves as Treasurer and Social Chair. Through his studies, he hopes to further learn about the intersection of economic development and environmental policy. Beyond the classroom, Fareed’s passions vary from environmental education to environmental research and justice.
Outside of the UEU, Fareed is a Project Manager for Duke Impact Investing Group and proud participant of DukeEngage. Fareed spent the past summer interning for a local Municipality in South Africa, where he discovered his love for sustainable development and public sector consulting.
Fareed joined the UEU in Fall 2020.
Jillian Senk
(she/her)
Communications Lead
Jilly is a junior planning to double major in Environmental Science and Marine Science & Conservation and minor in Economics. She is passionate about ways in which the intersection of science and economics can solve issues related to the climate crisis. In addition, she is extremely passionate about coastline conservation and plastic pollution. Outside of the classroom, she participates in plastic research with her Bass Connections team, serves as an education committee member for Duke Climate Coalition, and helps run Speedie Bean, a sustainable cold brew company operated by Duke students.
Jilly joined the UEU in Fall 2020.
Ava Leaphart
(she/her)
Communications Lead
Ava is a sophomore planning to major in Environmental Science and Policy with a Marine science Concentration. She is most interested in the science behind evolution and researching the adaptability of wildlife as a result. Outside of the UEU, she is working on the Hypoxia and Whales Bass Connection, advocating for underserved communities’ menstrual rights, and planning events for her quad.
Ava joined the UEU in Fall 2021.
Nicole Bolton
(she/they)
Justice Lead
Nicole is a junior pursuing a potential double major in Public Policy and Environmental Science and Policy. She wants to use this combination of majors to develop the interdisciplinary skills necessary to center social policy and environmental justice within government and economic systems. In addition to environmental advocacy, Nicole is proud to have worked with voter rights and LGBTQ+ advocacy groups. She is hoping to continue learning about the intersection of these various interests through her time at Duke and work with the UEU.
Nicole joined the UEU in Fall 2020.
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Ariel Chukwuma
(she/her)
Justice Lead
Ariel is a junior majoring in Environmental Sciences (BS) and minoring in Inequality Studies. Ariel is passionate about studying environmental degradation and its socio-political impacts on minority populations. She is a Rachel Carson scholar whose research centers on environmental justice in fishing/coastal communities. As a biracial woman, Ariel is very interested in how socio-environmental issues are gendered internationally. In the future, she aspires to get a PhD studying the intersection of gender, justice, and the environment. Ariel hopes this work will aid in conservation efforts that prioritize the protection of Indigenous knowledge and the health of minority populations.
Ariel joined the UEU in Fall 2021.
Yujin Kim
(she/her)
Administrative Lead
Yujin is a second-year student majoring in Environmental Sciences(BS). She hopes to eventually go into ecological research and wildlife conservation. She has been organizing with Youth 4 Climate Action Korea since 2019, pushing for a just transition to a climate safe future. Yujin is especially interested in the ways different fields of study come together to implement policies and solutions that address the big challenges we face as a society, and is looking forward to exploring the diverse academic and civic engagement opportunities available at Duke.
Yujin joined the UEU in fall 2021.
Huiyin Zhou
(she/they)
Identity and Culture Lead
Huiyin is a sophomore with a major in Cultural Anthropology, Environmental Sciences & Policy minor and Documentary Studies certificate. Growing up in China's industrial hub of Dongguan, they are passionate about the intersectionality of race, gender, class, and the environment, and increasingly post-colonial studies. They have widely engaged in social justice work as editor of unCoVer Initiative and collaborator of several community-based projects in China and transnationally. At Duke, Huiyin is a Sirena WuDuun Scholar, Kenan Summer Fellow, Story+ researcher and Global Fellow. They are also an active member in AASWG (Asian American Studies Working Group) and MAST (Mobilizing Asian Students Together). An aspiring scholar-activist and multilingual writer, they hope to pursue a PhD degree in anthropology after undergraduate. Huiyin coordinated for the spring 2021 EnviroArt Gallery Global Showcase across DKU and Duke teams.
They officially joined the UEU as Justice Intern in Fall 2021.
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Anya Dias-Hawkins
(she/her)
Board Member Lead
Anya is a sophomore majoring in Civil Engineering (Environmental and Water Resources Track) with a certificate in Global Development Engineering. She traveled in summer of 2022 to Bolivia to build a 105 meter suspended pedestrian bridge. She wants to combine these skills and travel experience to aid in natural disaster relief, and help with urban planning for cities to better prepare for natural disasters, known as urban resilience. In the past, she has been involved with recycling initiatives, virtual environmental education events, and trail workdays. Outside of the UEU, she participates in Pratt Tour Guides and DEID (Duke Engineers for International Development). She hopes to use her passion for environmental education and studies in engineering and urban planning to better plan for global disaster relief and advocate for climate change.
Anya joined the UEU in Fall 2021.
