About Us

Jesse Callahan Bryant is a second-year Masters of Environmental Management student at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. While his academic studies focus on environmental politics, media, and thought, his professional work is on conflict resolution in the American West and acting as the Executive Director for the Environmental Film Festival at Yale (EFFY). He is currently working on a project in Ten Sleep, Wyoming that attempts to understand the ongoing conflict between rock climbers and residents as recreation expands rapidly. Before attending F&ES, Jesse spent four years teaching environmental studies and leadership at the National Outdoor Leadership School and Teton Science Schools. He holds a B.A. in Neuroscience from Boston University.

Josefina Cobián is a second year Master of Environmental Management (MEM) candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Her focus is on Climate Change mitigation specifically in forest policy and climate change adaptation and resilience building in developing countries. Prior to F&ES, Josefina worked at the government sector for the National Forestry Commission of Mexico in the management of projects implemented with international funding for the reduction of emission from deforestation and forest degradation. Last summer, Josefina interned at the Environmental Defense Fund in Washington, D.C. where she collaborated with the forest team under the climate change initiative doing research on forest policy and participating in projects related to Climate change. As a result of this internship, she was co-author in a paper published in the journal Forests.

Elvis is a second year Master of Environmental Management student at Yale focusing on Corporate Environmental Sustainability, Industrial Safety, and Environmental Law and Policy. He is interested in Environmental Sustainability, Compliance, and Safety in mining and oil and gas industries in the Americas, Asia, and West Africa. Elvis works for Yale’s Center for Industrial Ecology as a Research Fellow and he is currently a teaching fellow for Comparative Environmental Law class. Prior to Yale, Elvis worked as Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Specialist for Endeavor Mining’s Nzema Gold Mine in the Western Region of Ghana, West Africa.

Elizabeth is studying for her master's in environmental management at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. After growing up in the Chicago suburbs, Elizabeth spent her summers performing ecology research with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, in the Ecuadorian Amazon and at The Missouri Botanic Garden, where she enjoyed being part of the community of scientists, but wished that more casual nature enthusiasts were informed about the projects with which she was involved. After interning with the Bureau of Land Management, New England Wild Flower Society, Morton Arboretum and Student Conservation Association, Elizabeth is working toward continuing to develop her data analysis and scientific communication skills. Elizabeth has a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Yale College.

Anna Thurston is in her final year at Yale as a Joint Degree Candidate in Religion and Ecology. Situated at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies and Yale Divinity School’s Institute of Sacred Music, Anna’s research focuses on the intersection of visual art, environmental ethics, and moral worldviews. Prior to Yale, she worked in modern art and science museums in Europe and the United States. Currently, Anna is investigating society-environment relationships with a focus on religious conceptions of trash and material waste. She is thrilled to join YER and can’t wait to “rebrand” environmental research into exciting reads even her grandmother would enjoy.

Karam Sheban is a first-year Master of Environmental Management candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. His interests include community development and resilience, alternative and regenerative forest economies, and environmental writing. Before coming to Yale, Karam worked in Appalachian Ohio with private landowners, using forest farming as a mode of economic development and as a strategy for private forestland conservation. Before that he spent two years as an assistant producer for an NPR public affairs show in Columbus, Ohio, where he grew up.

Jack Rusk is a first-year Master of Environmental Management candidate at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. His focus at Yale F&ES is on analyzing the effects of the built environment on natural and social environments. This inquiry is based in his training in the fields of ecological restoration and industrial ecology, overlaying those practices with thinking from critical social theory and design. Before Yale, Jack worked for the Studio of Environmental Architecture in Venice, CA, and freelanced as a furniture designer. He graduated summa cum laude from University of California, Santa Cruz, with a B.S. in Plant Sciences.

Khin Htet Htet Pyone is a 2020 Master of Environmental Management Candidate at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies with a focus on landscape management and community based sustainable conservation. She received her BSc in Forestry from the University of Forestry and Environmental Science in Myanmar. Following her undergraduate studies, she worked for local and international non-government organizations on forest and land governance issues. Currently, at Yale, she is working for The Forest Dialogue (TFD) to support Land Use Dialogue initiatives in Myanmar and Indonesia.

Laura is a second-year Master of Forest Science student at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Her research focuses on plant ecophysiology, forest ecology, and conservation biology. She received a BA in English and environmental studies from Bowdoin College, and has been working as a writing tutor and environmental researcher. Her interests include forest conservation, environmental education, science communication, and creative writing. She is thrilled to be writing for YER, and cares deeply about making ecological research engaging and accessible to broad audiences.

Haley Leslie-Bole is a first year Masters of Environmental Management candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Haley grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area then moved to the mountains to get her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Anthropology from Colorado College. At Yale she studies political ecology and environmental justice is interested in using these studies to inform mediation work on complex environmental and social challenges. Before coming to study at Yale, Haley spent two years teaching environmental science, facilitating experiential education, and guiding backpacking expeditions in Yosemite National Park.

Blanca Begert is a 2020 Master of Environmental Science Candidate at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Her academic interests include forest ecology and the political ecology of natural resource management. Before coming to Yale, she worked as a program coordinator with the National Parks of New York Harbor, as an associate producer and producer on projects for media companies like Viacom, HBO, and Time Inc., and as a staff photographer/video producer at Brooklyn Botanic Garden. She also spent six months working in forest restoration and plant conservation at the National Tropical Botanical Garden on Kaua'i. At Yale, Blanca works for The Forests Dialogue as a program associate on the Tree Plantations in the Landscape Initiative. She holds a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Brown University.

Kate Klaus is a dual degree student at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies and Vermont Law School. She will graduate with a Master of Environmental Management and a Juris Doctor in 2020. In law school, Kate focused on water law and has a forthcoming law review publication on a Clean Water Act issue. At Yale, Kate is concentrating on the technical aspects of water systems and plans to use this knowledge to be a more effective attorney. Previously, Kate has interned with the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice. She is excited to write for the Yale Environment Review and share her passion for environmental law with a broader audience.

Nathan is a dual-degree student at F&ES and Yale Divinity School, an ordained Episcopal minister, and a former digital strategist for Barack Obama and the Sierra Club. After graduation, he plans to continue working in climate change and social-justice advocacy, now from a faith-based perspective. Nathan manages the Facebook page Episcopal Climate News, is a member of the Episcopal Church's Task Force on Care of Creation and Environmental Justice, and represented the church at COP23. At F&ES, to prepare for his career in advocacy, Nathan studies religion & ecology and climate science, and also serves as a digital consultant for the Yale Program on Climate Change Communications (YPCCC). Originally from East Texas and North Idaho, he received his BA in government and Native American Studies from Dartmouth College; is a passionate fan of Americana, country, and bluegrass music; and is married to the talented and brilliant Diana Empsall.