Nana Oye Djan

Presidential Fellow

Nana Oye Djan is a PhD student in the Department of Engineering and Public Policy, advised by Dr. Paulina Jaramillo, Dr. Barry Rawn (CMU-Africa) and Dr. June Lukuyu (University of Washington). She received a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering in 2019, from Ashesi University in Ghana, where she is from. Using remote sensing data, Djan hopes to contribute to current efforts in monitoring and understanding the state of freshwater in Africa. Her current research focuses on quantifying and attributing the effects of climate change on inland surface water resources in Sub-Saharan Africa, to inform policy on climate mitigation, intervention and adaptation strategies.

Avery Sonora Williamson

Avery Sonora Williamson is a PhD student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, advised by Dr. Victoria Webster-Wood of the Biohybrid and Organic Robotics Group (BORG). She graduated with her bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from UC Davis in 2022, and obtained her master's degree in mechanical engineering from Carnegie Mellon University in 2024 as a BRIDGE Fellow. She will continue her research in the BORG lab as a GEM Associate Fellow and Steinbrenner Institute Doctoral Fellow. Avery's research revolves around the development of soft biohybrid robots for aquatic environmental monitoring. Her current work aims to characterize sustainable, biodegradable, hydrogel materials for applications in 3D bioprinting actuators. She hopes to develop methods for the design and manufacturing of biohybrid systems that reduce the harmful impact of exploratory science on natural ecosystems.

Jacob Lumpkins

Jacob Lumpkins is a PhD student in the Department of Chemical Engineering and is advised by Dr. Hamish Gordon. He received his bachelor's degree in chemical engineering in 2023 from Vanderbilt University, with a minor in computer science. His research focuses on understanding the production of aerosol particles, particularly in low-sulfur environments, and how they impact the radiative balance of the atmosphere. He is currently using the Met Office Unified Model to study the chemistry of alpha-pinene along organic pathways and how it affects the rest of the climate using global simulations and box modeling.

Kyla Fullenwider

Kyla Fullenwider is a PhD Researcher and Teaching Fellow at Carnegie Mellon University’s School of Design and is advised by Dr. Jonathan Chapman. Prior to CMU, she was a senior advisor to the U.S. Surgeon General and research faculty and a fellow at Georgetown University. Currently her research focuses on the implications of public trust in science on environmental policy, including what leverage points and design interventions can create systemic change in response to the environmental crisis.