On Friday, July 22, ten Sustainable LA Grand Challenge fellows presented their research before an audience of local decision makers and sustainability advocates at City Hall. Their projects—which address a wide variety of sustainability concerns—were selected for funding based on their capacity to contribute to the goals outlined in the Sustainable LA Work Plan.
Over the past year, the undergraduate and graduate student research fellows have been working on projects focused on sustainability in LA County; including developing a water balance model; a renewable energy potential assessment; and gentrification and displacement from transit-oriented development. The fellows’ presentations may be accessed in full here.
Fellows presenting at the symposium included:
Heidi Alexander, MArch | Architecture and Urban Design
Mentor: Dana Cuff
“Mapping Energy-Related Land Use Practices and Sustainable Physical Futures in Los Angeles”
Betty Barberena, MA | Urban and Regional Planning
Mentor: Rui Wang
“Electrifying Carshare: An Innovative and Sustainable Transportation Mode for the City of Los Angeles”
Gonzalo Cortes, PhD | Postdoctoral scholar in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Brianna Pagan | PhD student in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Mentor: Steve Margulis
“Applications of the Greater Los Angeles Integrated Water Management Model: Closing the LA Water Balance and Projections for Mid-Century”
Josh Derenski | Bachelor of Science in Mathematics & Statistics
Mentor: Stephanie Pincetl
“Electricity and Natural Gas Use in L.A. County Public Schools: Patterns and Insights”
Jaimee Lederman, JD, MA | PhD student in Urban Planning
Mentor: Martin Wachs
“Integrating Conservation and Transportation Planning in Los Angeles: A case study of Regional Habitat Conservation Plans.”
Karthik Nithyanandam, PhD | Postdoctoral scholar in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Mentor: Richie Wirz
“100% Renewable Energy for Los Angeles, A Preliminary Assessment”
The NOW Institute fellows | Shareefa Abdulsalam, Yitao Chen, Cagdas Delen, Ryan Doyle, Annie Eby, Elisabet Olle, Beyza Paksoy, Rupal Rathi, Niketa Sondhi, Wei Tang, Rizzie Walker, Halina Zarate
Mentor and Presenter: Eui-Sung Yi
“Sustainable LA: Wilshire Corridor Case Study”
Lina Stepick | PhD student in Sociology
Mentor: Edward Walker
“Gentrification and Displacement Pressures Around Transit-Oriented Development in Los Angeles”
Tyler Watson, MPH | PhD student in Environmental Health Sciences
Mentor: Hilary Godwin
“Urban Agriculture in Los Angeles County: An Assessment of Public Health Impacts, Production Potential, and Community Access to Local Food”
The Sustainable LA Grand Challenge Fellows program was made possible through generous gifts from Mr. Norman J. Powell, the Goldhirsh Foundation 2014 LA2050 Grants Challenge, the Anthony and Jeanne Pritzker Family Foundation, the Emmett Family Foundation, the UCLA Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, and the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.
