What is the Climate Leaders Program?
The Office of Sustainability launched the UT Climate Leaders Program in the fall 2022 semester. The Climate Leaders Program (Climate LEAP) offers a cohort of ten interns hands-on, practical experience developing a greenhouse gas emissions reduction plan for a UT college, school, or unit (CSU). Climate LEAP is a year-long, paid, internship program open to undergraduates of ALL majors. As part of the program, interns earn the University of New Hampshire Carbon Footprinting Certificate. The program is currently working with its third cohort.
For 2024-2025, the Climate LEAP cohort is working with Campus Operations to develop department-level greenhouse gas emissions reduction proposals. Climate Leaders work in interdisciplinary pairs with one intern acting as a Climate Data Analyst and the other as a Climate Engagement Specialist. Each pair works with a single department. Climate LEAP cohort meetings include presentations, workshops, and discussions led by experts in diverse fields, providing interns with the broad knowledge base needed to be successful as future sustainability and climate professionals.
To date, the program has worked with the following colleges, schools, and units of UT Austin to create greenhouse gas emissions inventories and emissions reduction plans:
- School of Architecture (2022-2023)
- Cockrell School of Engineering (2022-2023)
- Jackson School of Geosciences (2022-2023)
- College of Liberal Arts (2022-2023)
- College of Natural Sciences (2022-2023)
- LBJ Wildflower Center (2022-2023)
- McCombs School of Business (2023-2024)
- Moody College of Communication (2023-2024)
- College of Education (2023-2024)
- College of Fine Arts (2023-2024)
- LBJ School of Public Affairs (2023-2024)
- McDonald Observatory (2023-2024)
- Campus Operations (2024-2025)
Thank you to the University Budget Council, and the Green Fund for funding this cutting edge program.
Please contact climateleaders@austin.utexas.edu with any questions about the UT Climate Leaders Program.
Apply to be a Climate Leader!
Applications are now closed for 2024-2025. Eligibility and application information can be found on the Application Information page. Check back here for information or follow our newsletter for announcements on how to apply for the 2025-2026 cohort.
Climate Leaders 2024-2025
Alan Jian
Role: Climate Data Analyst
Majors: Canfield Business Honors, Finance, Sustainability Studies
Climate Dream Job: To scale sustainable solutions by investing private capital in ethical, environmentally friendly, and innovative companies.
Aishwarya Sreenivasan
Role: Climate Data Analyst
Majors: Statistics and Data Science, Economics
Minors/Certificates: Elements of Computing, Finance
Climate Hero: Growing up, I was captivated by Sir David Attenborough’s Planet Earth documentaries. His profound narration and the vivid portrayal of wildlife navigating the wonders and challenges of their natural habitats opened my eyes to the incredible diversity of our planet. Attenborough’s storytelling illuminated the profound impact human actions have on the environment, and has sparked a deep passion in me to combat climate change, advocate for environmental conservation, and adopt a more sustainable lifestyle.
Amélie Seigman
Role: Climate Engagement Specialist
Majors: Sustainability Studies and English
Climate Dream Job: I intend to explore the intersections between my chosen disciplines with a career in science communication. Literature and environmentalism have long been intertwined, and I'd love to use my communication skills to promote sustainability in accessible and exciting ways.
Ben Snider
Role: Climate Data Analyst
Majors: Geography and Psychology
Minors/Certificates: Spanish
Climate Dream Job: My climate dream job would be to work as a researcher or data scientist to create innovative solutions to climate change problems. Particularly, I want to combine my psychology and geography degrees to create environmentally conscious programs that are designed based on real-world human behavior.
Carolina Cordova
Role: Climate Engagement Specialist
Major: Economics
Minors/Certificates: Global Leadership in Sustainability
Climate Dream Job: ESG Consultant or ESG Financial/Economics Analyst
Eunjin Kim
Role: Climate Engagement Specialist
Major: Sustainability Studies
Minors/Certificates: Geography
Climate A-ha Moment: This summer, I went to Botswana and witnessed firsthand how animals are in conflict with each other and with humans due to limited water sources, exacerbated by climate change. Additionally, the excessive heat and subsequent large fires across the globe have further highlighted the severe impacts of the climate crisis. Seeing these effects up close has fueled my desire to learn more about climate change mitigation strategies and contribute to making meaningful changes.
Greyson Wong
Role: Climate Engagement Specialist
Major: Mechanical Engineering
Minors/Certificates: Business
Climate Dream Job: My dream job is to launch a tech business to develop innovative products addressing environmental issues. I aim to invent solutions that propel our world closer to a sustainable future.
Harikrishnan Mamparamb
Role: Climate Engagement Specialist
Major: Economics and MIS
Minors/Certificates: Entrepreneurship
Climate Dream Job: My dream job is to work in sustainability consulting, helping organizations transition to greener practices and reduce their carbon footprints. Eventually, I aspire to explore the intersection of my interests in entrepreneurship and sustainability by starting a pro-bono consultancy dedicated to assisting companies in achieving their environmental goals.
Iban Gonzalez-Mullady
Role: Climate Data Analyst
Major: Management Information Systems
Minors/Certificates: Global Sustainability Leadership and Elements of Computing
Climate Dream Job: To start my own business that creates a product or service using sustainable technology to reduce emissions throughout the business’s operations.
Iris Yang
Role: Climate Data Analyst
Major: Finance
Minors/Certificates: MIS
Climate Dream Job: My dream climate job would be a sustainability/environmental consultant. I want to work with Fortune 500 Companies to implement alternatives to fossil fuels and integrate environmentally friendly energy alternatives. I hope to leverage my business degree with my passion for sustainability to reduce the carbon emission footprint and inspire businesses to generate sustainable solutions in the real world.