Climate Corps fellowship awards

Gabriel Ingman

US Program
American Seafoods

Gabriel Ingman, a Master in Corporate Environmental Management and Renewable Energy at University of California, Santa Barbara, won the Business Case Award for his work with American Seafoods.

Gabriel created a comprehensive guide for American Seafoods to meet a major sustainability commitment to a key customer by modeling emissions reduction pathways and exploring concrete steps for the company to reduce its carbon footprint.

Gabriel’s work this summer ensures that American Seafoods is well prepared to meet this sustainability request and others like it in the future, while leading its industry in decarbonization efforts.

Gabriel researched and compiled communications to leadership, detailing how to meet the commitment with a specific focus on the technical and logistical considerations of sourcing renewable diesel.

Fangzhuo Zhou

China Program
SKF

Fangzhuo Zhou, of the Master of Science in Human Geography at Peking University, won the 2024 Business Case Award for her work with SKF (China) Co., Ltd.

Zhou led a comprehensive ESG development project for SKF China, delivering strategic recommendations that aligned sustainability with SKF’s global strategy, China’s business practices, and the latest EU-China policies.

Zhou’s work laid a solid foundation for ESG development, helping SKF China establish a strategic framework and gain a clear SWOT analysis of its ESG progress. By embedding ESG principles into core stakeholder relationships, SKF China is now positioned to strengthen its competitive edge, build a resilient supply chain, and support sustainable growth. The tools and recommendations Zhou developed are already guiding future ESG initiatives, with the company beginning to implement follow-up measures based on her framework.

Rachel Pike

US Program
Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Corporation

Rachel Pike, a duel Master in Environmental Management from Duke University, and City and Regional Planning from UNC Chapel Hill, won the Innovation Award for her work with Pacific Gas and Electric (PG&E) Corporation.

Rachel designed an engagement strategy for PG&E to communicate the results of their Climate Adaptation and Vulnerability Assessment that will strengthen existing relationships and create new partnerships that move California towards a more resilient future.

When implemented, this open and consistent dialogue with community members and local governments will help PG&E stay ahead of changing regulatory requirements, make progress in their climate commitments and efforts, and establish long lasting partnerships that will work towards creating a more resilient and equitable California.

These projects provide the Climate Resilience Team with a strong framework upon which they can share the findings of their detailed assessment, begin working on implementing resilience projects, and strengthen existing and forge new relationships with key stakeholders.

Jiecheng Ma

China Program
Foxconn Industrial Internet

Jiecheng Ma, of the Master of Philosophy in Management Science and Engineering at Zhejiang University, won the 2024 Innovation Award for his work with Foxconn Industry Internet Co., Ltd.

Ma developed an innovative CBAM Carbon Tax Visualization Calculator for FII, enabling accurate calculation and visualization of carbon taxes on exports. This tool supports compliance with stringent environmental standards and guides sustainable business decisions, such as energy efficiency investments, renewable energy adoption, and carbon offsetting.

This Calculator also promotes recycling and circular economy models, aligning with global conservation efforts. By simplifying CBAM compliance, enhancing data traceability, and visualizing carbon costs, it empowers strategic planning for sustainable growth. With its user-friendly design and alignment with EU regulations, this Calculator is set for implementation and has been integrated into FII’s development plans, ensuring its transition into a practical tool for driving sustainability.

Yaqub Adediji

US Program
PepsiCo

Yaqub Adediji, Doctor of Philosophy, Materials Engineering, from Auburn University, won the Collaboration Award for his work with PepsiCo.

Yaqub Adediji joined PepsiCo to help advance its ambitious climate goals as part of PepsiCo Positive (pep+), the company’s strategic end-to-end business transformation. Yaqub evaluated existing and potentially new tactics aimed at motivating suppliers in developing decarbonization action plans as well as models and tools that can effectively build strategic partnerships, incentivize or disincentivize suppliers, and assess the costs of carbon reduction.

Yaqub’s contributions have provided PepsiCo with key data points and a deeper knowledge on how to better support and engage suppliers on their decarbonization journey, aligning with the company’s ambitious climate goals. By addressing key challenges and implementing tailored motivational tactics, PepsiCo can better guide and support suppliers toward creating more effective decarbonization action plans.

The Performance System will assist procurement and sustainability teams at PepsiCo to tailor motivational tactics that strengthen supplier sustainability efforts, in effect fostering greater accountability and driving impact.

Yuanyang Xiao

China Program
JA Solar

Yuanyang Xiao, of the Master of Science in Physical Geography and Environmental Science at Peking University, won the 2024 Collaboration Award for his work with JA Solar.

Xiao worked collaboratively with JA Solar’s ESG and Sustainability team, delivering key support across critical sustainability initiatives. His contributions included accounting for product-level carbon emissions, formulating a biodiversity strategy, establishing Science-Based Carbon Targets, and mapping emission reduction pathways. He also played a pivotal role in completing the CDP questionnaire and preparing the TCFD and 2023 GHG emission reports which enhanced the company’s ESG ratings through more robust disclosures.

Riya Malhotra

Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL)

Riya Malhotra, a Master of Science, with a concentration in Building Performance and Diagnostics, from Carnegie Mellon, won the Adam Rozenberg Community Builder Award. Riya was placed at Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) and developed a wireframe of a centralized JLL Building Performance Standards (BPS) dashboard and calculator that serves as a ‘One Stop Shop’ for existing and prospective clients to advance their regulatory compliance efforts.

Riya was selected as a Class Delegate, a leadership role within the cohort dedicated to fostering peer-to-peer support among the 2024 fellows. Riya helped facilitate meetups between alumni and fellows in Pittsburgh and New York and has started mentoring applicants for the 2025 fellowship season. These initiatives highlight Riya’s dedication to community building, knowledge sharing, and actively contributing to the sustainability community’s growth.

Frank Agwuncha

US Program

Frank Agwuncha, of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management program at Columbia University, won the 2023 Business Case Award for his work with Vertical Bridge.

Frank employed a combination of diverse solutions poised to significantly curtail emissions: up to a 90% reduction in scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2030 and a 30% reduction in scope 3 by 2030, culminating in net zero by 2040.

Frank’s exhaustive analysis assigned dollar values to operating expense savings and correlated GHG emissions reductions. His adept problem-solving approach reshaped Vertical Bridge’s renewable energy perspective, influencing senior leadership’s outlook with potential for revenue generation.

Shehanas Pazhoor

India Program

Shehanas Pazhoor, a PhD candidate at Fudan University, won the 2023 Business Case Award for her work with Pula Advisors, an agricultural insurance and technology company.

Shehanas used the powerful FAO EX-Act tool to quantify the per-project sequestration potential across various carbon farming options. This enabled the organization to accurately gauge the economic and environmental benefits resulting from carbon credit outcomes. In addition, Shehanas meticulously prepared a comprehensive cost estimation sheet, delineating all financial aspects required for the successful operation of a carbon farming project.

She also prepared a roadmap that encouraged the use of private investment to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions by leveraging carbon credits for smallholder farmers to pay for crop insurance premiums, proving to be both economically and environmentally sustainable.

Laurel Kruke

US Program

Laurel Kruke, a Doctor of Philosophy candidate in Urban Education Policy at the University of Southern California, won the 2023 Collaboration Award for her work with the City of Fort Collins.

Laurel participated in the Equity and Resilience Assessment Working Group, by supporting the co-leads to develop productive agendas for the group and actively contributing to group discussions. She also strategized about climate equity pathways and potential metrics-prioritization for assessing and communicating equity progress in the context of Our Climate Future.

In addition to equity assessment discussions, Laurel collaborated with staff around the city and county to gather data for its annual CDP submission.

Siwei Yan

China Program

Siwei Yan, of the Master of Engineering program at Zhejiang University, won the 2023 Collaboration Award for her work with Advanced Micro-Fabrication Equipment Inc. China.

Yan worked collaboratively with multiple departments at AMEC to develop a comprehensive set of supply-chain packaging optimization strategies that aligned with the company’s ESG principles. These strategies, supported by rigorous quantitative analysis, included on-site research, measurement, and a thorough multi-element feasibility assessment.

Yan successfully formulated four actionable plans and four medium-to-long-term carbon reduction strategies for AMEC through this collaborative effort.

Jatin Khaiman

India Program

Jatin Khaimani, a student at Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, won the Collaboration Award for his work at Mahindra Group, a multinational conglomerate.

Jatin curated a whitepaper on the impact of climate change on agriculture, aiding Mahindra’s Sustainability and Risk team to guide the company’s agribusiness vertical. He interacted with a diverse group of sustainability professionals, think tanks, and governmental and non-governmental organizations.

Jatin’s commitment to creating a comprehensive and robust resource resulted in additional interviews with farm experts, engagement with startups, and collaboration within the Climate Corps network.

Lillian Liu

US Program

Lillian Liu, of the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara won the 2023 Innovation Award for her work with the US General Services Administration.

Lillian developed a dashboard for zero-emissions vehicles (ZEV) and electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) to enable high visibility and tracking of progress against the ZEV targets set forth in Executive Order 14057. The dashboard centralizes disparate data on federal government-wide vehicle inventory and electric vehicle infrastructure projects.

Lillian’s blueprint calls for improving data governance and quality, developing custom tools and models to support infrastructure investment decisions, creating a rollout strategy beginning with the establishment of flagship EVSE buildings, and lastly, scaling the strategy in four phases.

Xuecong Pu

China Program

Xuecong Pu, of the Master of Science in Agricultural Engineering and Information Technology program at Zhejiang University, won the 2023 Innovation Award for his work with Walmart China Investment Co., Ltd.

Pu worked with Walmart China to introduce innovative solutions for the reduction of food waste and carbon emissions. His project converted various forms of food waste into animal feed across 45 distribution centers in China, aligning with corporate and national sustainability goals. Pu’s research and tool development optimized the process, offsetting 767.6 metric tons of CO2e emissions, offering substantial benefits while reshaping industry practices.

Aishwarya Singh

India Program

Aishwarya Singh, a Master of Public Policy student at the Institute of Rural Management Anand, won the Innovation Award for his exceptional work with Climate Smart Agriculture team at EDF India.

Aishwarya examined agri-products and commodities from a sustainability perspective to identify key elements of an optimal, emissions-reduced agri-value chain for farmers. This effort culminated in the development of a comprehensive research note on value chains for emissions-reduced agri-commodities, a departure from conventional agri-value chains which focus primarily on production. Aishwarya’s examination from an emissions reduction lens is an innovative strategy towards emission-reduced cultivation.

Guoying Zhu

China Program

Guoying Zhu, of the Master of Science program in Physical Geography at Peking University, won the 2023 Low Carbon Award for his work with Covestro Polymers (China) Co., Ltd.

Guoying’s efforts enhanced and streamlined Covestro’s utility KPI system, resulting in energy-efficient operation recommendations and standardized energy consumption analysis functions. This is projected to yield annual electricity savings exceeding 3 million kWh, equating to a reduction of 255 MtCO2e emissions annually.