Henri Neblina Sustainability Summer Research Fellow Spotlight
Q. How will this summer research fellowship support your research efforts and future goals?
A. "This fellowship gives me the opportunity to have independent experience researching a topic I'm passionate about. The proliferation of solar energy is fascinating to me, especially in my home state of Nevada and similar states throughout the Western US. Being able to study it in depth offers me a finer estimate of the field I want to work in, the understanding of how to better design and implement effective policies, and a more realistic grasp of what things need to be changed. In addition, I hope that being awarded this research fellowship improves my chance of being admitted to the graduate program at my dream school, UC Berkeley."
Q. Why is sustainability research important?
A. "Sustainability research is important because it instructs us how to get by with what we have. For centuries, we have place utmost importance on the supposed imperative of economic growth, extracting resources and expelling waste at rates that could not possibly be compensated for by natural processes. More often than not, this overconsumption has come at the expense of the environment, other, less affluent countries, and ultimately our own well-being. Only relatively recently have we become cognizant of the seemingly ever-growing scope of our baneful behavior, and just in the past fifteen years or so has this garnered serious widespread attention. Sustainability research, be it in the field of economics, policy, sociology, or any of the hard sciences, affords us insights as to how to proceed from where we are at to make a better future for all, and it offers valuable lessons on how to avoid perpetuating our disastrous behavior in the future."
Q. What advice would you give to other UK students thinking about doing research?
A. "I think the best piece of advice I could give is this: never let an idea go. Usually, I don't find myself researching things I've thought up anytime recently, be it for class or a fellowship like this. Instead, it's much more common that I invest in projects that I had been sitting on for a long time, and only when an opportunity arises do I have the chance to actually work on it. And don't pigeonhole yourself! Allow yourself the freedom to explore beyond your immediate field of interest. Seek out cross disciplinary settings that expand your understanding of your interests. The broader your appreciation and connection with your passions, the greater the sense of satisfaction you'll feel with yourself and your work."
The UK Office of Undergraduate Research's Sustainability Summer Research Fellowship program provides undergraduates with the opportunity to study in a wide variety of disciplines while doing intensive and self-directed research with a sustainability focus under the supervision of a faculty mentor.
Co-sponsored by the UK Student Sustainability Council