Neha Goel
Pictured from left to right: Veronica Johnson, Ethan Hasiuk, Sophia Erhard, Ben Johnson, Geneva Vest, and Neha Goel.
Rice's Administrative Center for Sustainability and Energy Management (ACSEM) welcomes six summer interns as its summer 2016 team: Veronica Johnson, Ben Johnson, Neha Goel, Geneva Vest, Sophia Erhard, and Ethan Hasiuk.
Veronica, a senior at Martel College, joined the ACSEM in September 2014. She is currently working towards her Bachelor of Arts in environmental engineering with minors in environmental studies and energy and water sustainability. This summer, Veronica is updating Rice’s sustainability website, continuing to publish the Sustainability at Rice monthly newsletter, managing the sustainability social media channels, and developing a list of contacts for the Texas Regional Alliance for Campus Sustainability (TRACS). Veronica enjoys cooking intricate vegan meals and sharing her creations with the interns in the office.
Ben’s passion lies in ecology and evolutionary biology. A rising junior at McMurtry College, Ben is educating the Rice community on the biodiversity around Rice through the Lynn R. Lowrey Arboretum social media channels. He is also working with his fellow intern Ethan on a project to optimize the recycling process at Rice. Ben also works at Rice Coffeehouse, and in his spare time enjoys watching Netflix and cooking tasty vegetarian dishes.
Neha is a rising sophomore at Duncan College majoring in civil and environmental engineering. This is her first summer interning for the ACSEM, and she is assisting Veronica in managing the sustainability social media accounts and rewriting portions of the sustainability website. Neha tries to practice sustainability in her life by engaging students in environmental awareness through social media, working towards being vegan once a week, and riding a bike around Houston.
Geneva, a rising senior from Hanszen College, is majoring in sociology with a particular interest in urban planning and sustainable design. This summer, Geneva is writing articles for the sustainability newsletter, researching the history of recycling at Rice, and collecting data on study abroad programs focusing on sustainability and the environment. When she isn’t at the office, she enjoys spending time outdoors, experimenting with new vegetarian dishes, using public transportation, and listening to podcasts about sustainable design.
Sophia is a rising junior at Martel College. Sophia plans on earning degrees in environmental engineering, sociology, and policy studies. She hopes to pursue a career in environmental policy and urban community gardening. This summer, Sophia is developing articles for the newsletter, helping to create a green office program, and providing research assistance for the ACSEM Director Richard Johnson. At Rice, Sophia is actively involved in the Rice Environmental Club and helps to maintain the community gardens around campus. She is also the EcoRep for Martel, promoting sustainability and conservation at her college.
This summer, Ethan is working with Ben to improve Rice’s recycling system and is also working on a campuswide sustainability assessment project. A rising junior from Jones, Ethan is studying civil and environmental engineering with a focus in urban infrastructure. In the future, Ethan hopes to use his degree to improve public transportation systems in order to contribute to inclusive and sustainable cities. In his spare time, Ethan enjoys hiking and various musical activities including playing drums with his band Half Patrick and booking local concerts for KTRU Rice Radio.
When not otherwise working diligently on their assigned projects, this talented group enjoys discussing food, spending time together in Rice’s outdoor spaces, and engaging in volunteer and environmental activities in the Houston area.