Sophia Sparks is a fourth-year EAS undergraduate student with a focus in environmental science and a minor in Sustainable Cities. Her academic interests include biogeochemistry, climate science, and sustainability. This past summer she conducted paleoclimate research using fossil corals in Dr. Isaiah Bolden’s lab and worked as a Water Quality Intern for Chattahoochee Riverkeepers. Following her graduation in December, she is pursuing her master’s degree in EAS and hopes to earn a certificate in Sustainable Energy and Environmental Management.

Nihal Velagapudi is a third-year EAS undergraduate student with a focus in environmental science. His academic interests include geochemistry and oceanography, as well as environmental policy. He conducts oceanography and paleoclimate research under Dr. Bolden using coral reefs, and was able to continue his work over the summer with the Rutt Bridges Award. Additionally, Nihal has been a lab TA for Intro to Environmental Science since last August. He plans to graduate in Spring 2024 and obtain his master’s degree through Tech’s B.S./M.S. program.

Emily Tribby is a fourth-year EAS undergraduate student with a concentration in Environmental Science. This past summer, she interned at Freeport-McMoRan (a copper and molybdenum mine), working with their Environmental Technology and Life Cycle Analysis Team. She is currently an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Tang's lab studying REE recovery. Following her December 2023 graduation, she plans to pursue her master's degree in EAS and further her work in remediation. In her free time, she enjoys rock climbing, hiking, and traveling. 

Brooke Sciandra is a fourth-year undergraduate student double majoring in Biology and EAS with a focus in environmental science. She received the 2022-2023 Rutt Bridges Award and used the funding to carry out an independent research project in Dr. Isaiah Bolden’s lab this summer. During this time, she collected samples from various points along the Chattahoochee River to test them for heavy metal concentrations. In addition to working in Dr. Bolden’s lab, Brooke is a lab TA for Intro to Environmental Science. She plans to graduate in Spring 2024 and hopes to pursue a Ph.D.

Mallory Monaghan is a fifth-year student studying Earth & Atmospheric Sciences with a focus in meteorology. She is currently a Pathways Intern for the National Weather Service (NWS) Indianapolis where she is training to become a full-time Meteorologist. This past summer, she finished up her three semester Co-Op with Delta Air Lines. While at Delta Air Lines, Mallory developed a passion for aviation meteorology – Terminal Area Forecast (TAF) writing and turbulence forecasting.

Emily is a fourth-year EAS major with a concentration in meteorology. She is currently interning at the Marine Meteorology Division of the US Naval Research Laboratory working with Dr. Jeff Reid and Dr. John Park. In 2022 she worked for the Brookhaven National Laboratory on the Tracking Aerosol interactions ExpeRiment under Dr. Mike Jensen and Dr. Die Wang. She presented her research at the 2023 American Meteorological Society Annual Meeting Student Conference. At school, Emily works in Dr. Huey's atmospheric chemistry lab.

Baylee MacBeth is a rising third year undergraduate in the Earth & Atmospheric Sciences department. His academic interests include geophysics, geology, and environmental science. He has been working with both Dr. Zhigang Peng and Dr. Andy Newman with Raspberry Shake seismometers through the GTEQ project as the student network manager and by taking research for credit. Through his efforts, he received the 2023-2024 Rutt Bridges award for undergraduate research.

Marcus Morris is a fourth-year Earth and Atmospheric Sciences undergraduate student focused on environmental science. His interests in the field include biogeochemistry, climate science, atmospheric chemistry, and public policy. He is currently working on a research project with Dr. Taillefert on characterizing greenhouse gas fluxes from coastal salt marshes. He is also a member of the greywater subteam of the Kendeda Living Building Science Vertically Integrated Project. In the previous semester, Marcus worked as a lab teaching assistant for Intro to Environmental Science.

Kevin Pinder is a senior studying Earth & Atmospheric Sciences with interests in meteorology. He is currently a National Weather Service Student Volunteer for Peachtree City, Georgia’s Weather Forecasting Office where he receives training in operational meteorology, helps launch weather balloons and performs research on the 2021 flash flooding event in Waverly, Tennessee. His goal is to be a full-time employee for the National Weather Service and provide critical weather warnings to protect people and their property.

Aria Creque is a fourth year Earth and Atmospheric Sciences major, primarily focusing on environmental science, with minors in Spanish and International Affairs. She is currently interested in researching the effects of eutrophication on coastal acidification off Savannah’s coast with the help of Dr. Bolden and Dr. Taillefert. After graduating this spring, she is excited to begin a career in environmental consulting before returning to school for her Masters. She hopes to continue to use her career to study and mitigate the effects of climate change globally in whatever way she can.