ENVS Departmental Awards

Outstanding Graduate

Aeryn is graduating with majors in Environmental Studies and French, and a minor in Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. A highlight of Aeryn’s senior year at WWU was her “Composting 101: The Ecological Art of Decay” workshop series, for which she was awarded an SEJF grant. She collaborated with the Outback Farm to teach workshop participants various methods of composting their own food waste. Aeryn also interned at City Sprouts Farm, learning about organic and community-minded farming practices in a food desert. She hopes to continue work post-grad on building regenerative socio-ecological food systems, as well as cultivating cross-cultural and interdisciplinary collaboration in finding solutions to social and environmental issues. After graduation, she will be moving to France for a year to be an English teaching assistant in children’s classrooms for the TAPIF.

Aeryn Garvisch

B.A., Environmental Studies

Outstanding Graduate

Nina graduated with an emphasis in Geographic Information Systems, a GIS certificate, and a degree in French. During her time at WWU, she competed as a member of the climbing team and worked as a lab assistant in GIS courses, as well as working as a French tutor for the Employee Language Program. She also studied abroad in France her junior year, earning her B2 degree in French from the Université Grenoble Alpes. During her senior year, she worked as an undergraduate research assistant for the Spatial Institute, utilizing LiDAR technology to map stream channels in the Puget Sound. Additionally, she completed an independent research project entitled "The Impacts of Wildfire on Washington's Popular Climbing Areas." She is passionate about the intersection of geospatial data, recreation, and conservation, having worked for non-profits such as the Access Fund, and hopes to continue this work into the future. 

Nancy "Nina" Bracht-Bedell

B.A., Environmental Studies-GIS Emphasis

Department Social and Environmental Justice Award

Power Privilege and the Environment (ENVS 467) students organized what started as a class project and bloomed into a larger enterprise the following term to have renowned University of Oregon scholar Laura Pulido visit campus and participate in a number of events for both the department and the campus at large. She is a "qualitative social scientist who works at the intersection of geography and critical ethnic studies." They also organized a remote speaking engagement for the class by Dr Kangjae "Jerry" Lee, an environmental justice researcher at the University of Utah.

L to R Sloane Bodner, Paola Falcon, Fallon Jenkins, Megan Neufeld, Professor Kate Darby, Jordon Adaams, Evan Wolfe

Environmental Studies 467 Student organizers

Outstanding Environmental Studies M.A. Graduate Student

Emily Bradford is an M.A. graduate student who will be graduating in the summer of 2025. Her research has focused on the island marble butterfly, an extremely endangered butterfly that is endemic to the San Juan Islands. She's focused on finding potential habitat for the species to aid conservation and restoration efforts. During her time at Western, she's been a TA for classes in the main GIS series as well as physical geography classes. She and her advisor Dr. Aquila Flower co-developed a GIS seminar, which she taught in Fall 2024. She's also worked with Dr. Flower and other researchers with the Spatial Institute to analyze the impacts of climate change in the Salish Sea bioregion, map stream channels in Whatcom County, and create maps for a report about the geology of the Skagit River watershed. Emily will also be completing the Environmental Science department's Data Science Certificate program in June 2025. She presented her research at the Ecological Society of America (ESA) conference in 2024 and is an active member of ESA, the American Association of Geographers, the Wildlife Society, and Western Academic Workers United.

Emily Bradford

M.A., Environmental Studies

Outstanding Departmental Applications Award

My name is Harry Grantz, and I’m a Spring 2025 graduate. During my time at WWU, I’ve explored how society constructs relationships with the environment through power structures and dominant ideologies, and how these forces impact people and nature. I believe these systems must be dismantled through bottom-up urban planning that centers the voices and experiences of everyday people.
Inclusive planning can help create equitable, resilient cities and foster harmonious relationships between humans and the natural world. My senior thesis challenges existing urban planning power dynamics in Johannesburg, South Africa by surveying city park-goers, comparing park experiences, and revealing how their stories accessing nature can better inform planning decisions.
Through this project, I hope to contribute to a more just vision of urban greenspace access in Johannesburg and help chip away at entrenched planning ideologies and power structures.

Harry Grantz

B.A., Environmental Studies-Geography Emphasis

Outstanding Departmental Research Award

Finley graduated in Fall, 2024 with a BA in Environmental Studies with a GIS Emphasis. During his senior capstone project for the honors college, Finley worked with the Legacy Forest Defense Coalition; a local nonprofit which has taken on the crucial fight to protect late successional forests on Washington’s publicly owned land. Finley contributed to this mission by doing ground truthing using GIS techniques to identify more tree stands that previously weren’t classified as mature forest. He’s starting the ENVS graduate program in the fall and is hoping to continue working with the LFDC in his thesis research. His research will focus on classifying late successional forests in Washington using a combination of dendrochronology and imagery analysis techniques

Finley Bell

B.A., Environmental Studies-GIS Emphasis

Oustanding Departmental Community Service Award

Tamsen Henry (she/her) is a graduating with a Degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Geographic Information Science, a minor in geography, and a certificate in Geographic Information Science. She is forever grateful for the academic and extracurricular communities she participated in which gifted much joy and growth over the years. During her time at WWU Tamsen played on the Women's Rugby team her Sophomore and Junior year, working as a co-president her Junior year, and played on the women's Ultimate team, Chaos, her senior year. During her time at WWU, Tamsen worked for the Intramural department as a basketball referee for 3 years. In the College of the Environment she worked as a lab assistant in the GIS department, served as a member of the Mapping Accessibility Project, and completed a senior project focused on improving campus accessibility through community-based building audits. This project continues as a potential research project available to continuing WWU students. Tamsen is passionate about developing and communicating creative bipartisan solutions that use the context of historic injustices to build equitable futures.

Tamsen Henry

B.A., Environmental Studies-GIS Emphasis

National Council for Geographic Education Award

Alec graduated with his BA in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in GIS and completed a minor in Music. He worked as a student custodian, played his trombone with multiple groups in the Music department, and was a member of the WWU Tennis club. Throughout his time in the Environmental Studies department, he worked on many different projects including the Sehome Hill Arboretum Sound Mapping Project, the Mapping Accessibility Project, and used remote sensing tools to aid in ongoing research to improve land cover classification in the Galapagos Archipelago. Alec plans on using GIS to study and manage wildfires. This summer he will be interning with the National Park Service in Northern New Mexico as a fire ecologist/GIS technician.

Alec Chisholm

B.A., Environmental Studies-GIS Emphasis

Department Community Builders Award

Caitlyn (she/her) is graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Environmental Justice and Community Resilience and minors in Spanish and Anthropology. During her time at Western, she actively contributed to the Diversity and Community Affairs committee, notably leading the creation of a Gear Lending Library to ensure equitable access to field courses within the College of the Environment, with aspirations for university-wide expansion. Caitlyn also fostered community as a Student Admissions Representative and Event Manager sharing her experiences and activities with prospective students. Looking ahead, she aims to gain practical experience through fellowships in her home state of Colorado or in the PNW before pursuing a Master’s in Public Health.

Caitlyn Wilson

B.A., Environmental Studies-Justice and Resilience Emphasis

Department Community Builders Award

Liam (he/him) is graduating with a B.A. in Environmental Studies - Policy, Politics, and Governance, with a minor in Environmental Justice and a Climate Leadership Certificate. While at Western, he founded and led the Students for Climate Action club, served in student government as an At-Large Senator, the Vice President of Sustainability, Vice President of University Operations, and finally as President of the student body. He was awarded two Sustainability, Equity, and Justice Fund (SEJF) Grants, focusing on combatting food insecurity and students' professional development. He was additionally presented the Associated Students (AS) 2024 Commitment to Justice award for his work pertaining to divestment. A fierce advocate of fair and accurate student representation, he chaired the SEJF Committee, Services & Activities Fee Committee, AS Executive Board, was a founding member of the Environmental Sustainability Coalition, and helped create both the Advisory Committe on Socially Responsible Investing (ACSRI) and the Ethical Contracts Committee.

Outside of his advocacy work, Liam was a research assistant with the Border Policy Research Institute, and completed internships with Methow Recycles, the Center for Responsible Forestry, and Kulshan Carbon Trust. While reporting on rural communities' claims to water rights for The Planet Magazine, he discovered a deep interest in rural environmental politics. Upon graduating, he hopes to enter a career that helps bridge the gap between small agricultural communities and the policies that affect them.

Liam Pratt

B.A. in Environmental Studies - Policy, Politics, and Governance Emphasis

Outstanding Graduating Senior

Amaya (she/her) is graduating with an emphasis in Geographic Information Science and minors in Geography and Honors Interdisciplinary Studies. During her time at WWU, she has worked as a tour guide and competed as a member of the WWU Women’s Rugby Club Team. In the College of the Environment, she has worked as a Lab Assistant for GIS and is currently writing an Honors capstone project titled Landscapes of Change: Acequias, Community Resilience, and State Power in Northern New Mexico (her home state). After graduation, she is looking forward to starting the Master of Environmental Studies program at WWU in the fall and continuing to explore GIS, water politics, and the American West.

Amaya Coblentz

B.A., Environmental Studies-GIS Emphasis

Outstanding Graduating Senior

Casey graduated with a degree in Environmental Studies and an emphasis in Geographic Information Systems. He also has minors in Geography, Climate Change, and the GIS Certificate. As a student at Western Washington University, Casey was involved in numerous projects, teams, and events. Notably, he served as the GIS Developer for the Sehome Hill Arboretum Sound Mapping Project, administrator of the WWU Critical Cartography Collective, and member of the Mapping Accessibility Project. He also served as GIS Lab Assistant. Casey is most interested in leveraging the unique powers of cartography to help communities navigate through the complex challenges of environmental stewardship and the impacts of climate change. After completing his courses, Casey began a new role as a Project Associate Data & GIS Analyst for BERK Consulting in Seattle.

Casey Price

B.A., Environmental Studies-GIS Emphasis

Outstanding Environmental Studies M.A. Graduate Student

Kenna graduated in 2024 with a Master’s thesis focused on GIS and regional biophysical climate resilience. During her time as a graduate student, Kenna served on the Graduate Program Committee, maintained two regional fellowships, and supported the undergraduate Physical Geography, Climate Change, and GIS courses. Outside her academic pursuits, Kenna served on the board of a local non-profit to expand outdoor recreation opportunities for women, instructed at two yoga studios, and maintained a graphic design and non-profit consultation company supporting clients like the Community Boating Center. While achieving summa cum laude at WWU, Kenna sharpened her technical writing, GIS, and cartography skills and climate change adaptation acumen. Kenna is eager to bring her skills and zeal into the next stage of her career in environmental work.

Kenna Sarae Kuhn

M.A., Environmental Studies

Outstanding Departmental Applications Award

Evan Peone spent their senior year braiding together their cultural knowledge with their academic knowledge through their senior project. Evan belongs to the Spokane and Colville tribes of the plateaus of Eastern Washington. She has been working studiously working on a traditional Plateau-style beaded map of Washington state. Through their experience, she has been working closely with Dr. Kristen French, a faculty advisor for NASU and a close friend. They met weekly throughout the past two years beading together and sharing cultural knowledge about what it means to be Indigenous. This project not only gave Evan the chance to practice their Indigenous culture, but to work on what it means to decolonize. She has done extensive research and reading into decolonial and anti-colonial theoretical frameworks that built the foundation of their project, with a special emphasis on Decolonization is Not a Metaphor by Eve Tuck and K. Wayne Yang. She was often found beading in class participating in an act of colonial resistance through their beadwork.

Evan Peone

Environmental Studies-Geography Emphasis

Outstanding Departmental Research Award

Marko Foster graduated in December 2023 with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies – Geography Emphasis, along with a GIS Minor and Certificate. During his time at the College of the Environment, Marko learned the importance of integrating natural sciences with humanities to effect positive change on the environment and humanity.

Marko began his GIS studies in his junior year, quickly developing a passion for the field. After completing numerous environmental research projects and dedicating extensive hours in the GIS lab, he cultivated a deep appreciation for GIS.

As a member of the Honors College, Marko was required to complete a senior project, providing him with an opportunity to use GIS as a tool for environmental research. With support from his advisor, Dr. Aquila Flower, Marko completed a GIS-based project in a national park in his home country of North Macedonia during the summer and fall of 2023.

GIS has played a pivotal role in Marko’s academic journey, and he will continue to use it as a tool to benefit the environment and communities.

Marko Foster

B.A., Environmental Studies-Geography Emphasis

Outstanding Departmental Community Service Award

Hank Belanger is graduating with a BA in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Policy, Politics, and Governance, and a minor in GIS. While at Western, Hank interned in the Methow Valley through the Climate Leadership Certificate and engaged in projects ranging from environmental justice data collection across the Salish Sea to outlining a text-alert food recovery system. After graduating, he is excited to pursue an environmental career and spend time with his family.

Henry "Hank" Belanger

B.A., Environmental Studies, Policy, Politics & Governance emphasis

National Council for Geographic Education Award

I am so honored and excited to use the experiences and knowledge that I have gained from my education at the College of the Environment to explore the ways people and place are connected. I want to use geographic information systems to explore environmental injustices that are negatively impacting communities around the world. Currently, I am working to become an educator that can combine these ideas and teach others to connect with their own sense of place.

Ainsley Shearer

Environmental Studies-GIS Emphasis

Department Community Builders Award

Ariela Ikezawa is graduating cum laude from Western Washington University this spring with a degree in Elementary Education (Woodring College of Education), Environmental Studies (College of the Environment), and a minor in Museum Studies (College of Fine and Performing Arts). She is the recipient of a summer 2023 NASA grant to study science education in STEM museum settings. Her research findings were selected for presentation at a nationwide conference of the National Science Teachers Association’s (NSTA) in Denver, Colorado, in the spring of 2024.

In addition to her outstanding academic career, Ariela has been committed to creating inclusive and engaging educational experiences for others. Recognized for her role in creating programs and lessons at both the SPARK museum and the Western Gallery’s Arbitrary Borders exhibition, Ariela set a standard for fostering engagement and interest in many subjects. This fall Ariela will begin her career as an elementary school teacher in the Bellevue School District. As she transitions from student to educator, her legacy at WWU will continue to set a worthy example to the next generation of aspiring educators.

Ariela Ikezawa

B.A.E., Environmental Studies Elementary Education

Environmental Studies Department Social & Environmental Justice Award

Olivia Berner is graduating in 2024 with a BA in Environmental Studies with an Environmental Justice and Community Resilience emphasis and a minor in Psychology. While working and interning at the Fair Housing Center of Washington (beginning in 2022), she contributed to research that would inform the FHCW Disability Rights Conference, grant applications, and the organization’s collective understanding of housing insecurity. Exposure to applications of justice regarding housing discrimination motivated her to focus on community engagement and well-being in other projects, one standout being the co-organization (alongside Juno Bonnell-Jones, Jessica Darlington, Red Grojean, and Mason Pappas, supervised by Dr. Kate Darby) of a “Food Sovereignty Student Teach-In” during Winter 2024 with Guest Speaker Gabby Larsen. This event was an open dialogue about food insecurity at WWU, providing attendees with information on immediate resources and more widespread programs. She is excited to carry these experiences and understanding into whatever the future brings! 

Olivia Berner

B.A., Environmental Studies, Environmental Justice & Community Resilience Emphasis

Outstanding Graduating Senior

Clary (she/her) is graduating with a degree emphasis in Environmental Education and Eco-Social Justice, having achieved a 4.0 GPA. In her time at the College of the Environment, Clary served on the college’s Diversity and Community Affairs committee and led the organization of a Gear Lending Library project to increase access to field-based programs for CENV students. She spent her final quarter at Western in the Environmental Education Spring Block program, working to facilitate land-based learning for Indigenous youth. After graduation, Clary is looking forward to returning home to Northern California, where she will continue to work with young people in outdoor experiential settings. She plans to pursue a Master’s of Education degree in the near future.

Clary Greacen de la Montagne

Education and Eco-Social Justice Emphasis, BA

Outstanding Community Service Award

Brynn Vogel is graduating with a BA in environmental education and eco-social justice. During their time at Western they served as an intern for the College of the Environment Strategic Visioning Committee and participated in the Spring Block environmental education cohort. They are excited to pursue a career in environmental and outdoor education and see the world after graduating!

Brynn Vogel

Education and Eco-Social Justice Emphasis, BA

National Council for Geographic Education Award

Kiernan Park-Egan is majoring in Environmental Studies with a Geographic Information Science Emphasis. He enjoys his spare time making maps for various U.S. Elections. He has been accepted into a master's program at Northwest Missouri State University, where he will be perusing a Master's in Geographic Information Science.

Kiernan Park-Egan

Geographic Information Science Emphasis BA, Geography Minor

Community Builders Award

Anna came to Western not knowing what they were going to do in school and so leaned into communities on campus to figure it out. As they worked on their Environmental Education degree, they started running a chapter of a nonprofit that focused on connecting women and non-binary folks with shared outdoor interests. They have helped organize community events like clothing swaps and outdoor adventures that range from trail runs to speaker series learning about avalanche safety. They have worked in the outdoor ed field through the Environmental Education Spring Block program, and returned to the program as a TA to help other educators come into a space of communal learning and supporting reparations in the environmental education field. After graduating they are hoping to leave the tools and structure to help others maintain the communities they were dedicated to.

Zoe Harper is graduating with a degree in Environmental Studies with and emphasis in Environmental Education and Ecosocial Justice. They transferred to Western specifically for this program, and it's safe to say it has changed their whole life. Through their studies they helped to design and sustain a field school in cooperation with both the Lummi and W̱SÁNEĆ nations in and around the San Juan and Canadian Gulf Islands. In the second year of this field school, Zoe, and their good friend Anna Friedrich, came back as TA's to help a new cohort of students in finding their passions in this work. Zoe is leaving Western inspired by their now vibrant connection to Place, where they had come into this program most excited by environmental education, they're leaving with an emboldened passion for Ecosocial Justice.

Anna Friederich, Zoe Harper

Environmental Education Spring Block

Social & Environmental Justice Award

A group of students helped bring and host two visitors (one in winter, two in spring) to help the Department, College and Campus learn about Intersectional Environmentalism and what it could mean here. Winter events included a large class talk and reception afterward; a Black History Month Luncheon talk in the MCC; and small group discussions all with Jarre Hamilton. Spring events for Jarre and IE Exec. Dir. Diandra Marizet were closely tied to Earth Week, and included several class visits; small affinity group meetings; a big evening event with two music acts; a dinner and a panel discussion on Intersectional Ecofeminism; a Community Resilience Workshop; and an appearance at the Outback Unplugged support event.

To help make these happen team member Angela Romeo provided a campus tour and was worked with the Disability Outreach Center to connect and find other interested folx. Abby Louise Bounty stepped up to provide an opening act for the dinner; Maiyu Nanouk Jones spoke as a panel member; and Natalie Harris and Erica Richardson did the lioness’s share of coordinating with Earth Week plans and dealing with many aspects of the Ecofeminism panel and Outback events. Joined by others playing smaller roles such as accompanying the guests around campus or for meals, and meeting many different needs, the team ensured a pleasant visit and a successful intro to IE.

Angela Romeo, Natalie Harris, Abby Louis LaBounty, Maiyuraq (Lauryn) Nanouk Jones, Erica Richardson

Intersectional Environmentalist Events

Outstanding Departmental Applications Award

Tegan Keyes spent her senior year interning with LEAD, WWU’s ecological restoration program. She assisted in designing and implementing a native ecosystem restoration project on a degraded site on WWU’s campus, using the Miyawaki Method afforestation technique. The project culminated in a large-scale work party on Earth Day, 2023, where over 200 community volunteers planted 1000 seedlings that will grow into a dense, diverse, mini-forest.

Tegan Keyes

Environmental Studies BA, Salish Sea & Honors Interdisciplinary Studies Minors

Outstanding Departmental Research Award

Olivia Hobson graduated in December 2022 with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Journalism and the GIS Certificate. During her time at Western, she spent countless hours in newsrooms on and off campus finding stories in her community that explained, uncovered or celebrated the connections between the human and the non-human, the spatial and the temporal, and the climate challenges with the climate solutions here in the Pacific Northwest. Olivia started taking GIS classes her junior year at Western and knew the program would provide her with an exciting new set of skills to broaden the ways she could tell stories. Using spatial data and visualizations to explain or enhance the climate trends, problems and solutions she writes about has been a fun new challenge and opens up a new way of thinking about how stories can be told and how they can be shared with the communities they're about. Olivia hopes to use GIS in her future work to emphasize environmental justice, sustainable development and community resilience in the face of climate change.

Olivia Hobson

Environmental Journalism BA, GIS Certificate

Outstanding MA Graduate Student

In her short time at Western, Ava has made impressive contributions to the Bellingham-area community, Western Washington University, the College of the Environment, and the ENVS MA program. She has successfully authored or co-authored four grant proposals. One of those grants was a SEJF grant to install a mini-forest on the WWU campus using the Miyawaki Method, including a WWU/community Earth Day community event where volunteers planted nearly a thousand plants on degraded property co-owned by WWU and the City of Bellingham. Ava brought together five community organizations and hundreds of volunteers for the project. She has also been one of the graduate student co-directors of the LEAD program and was instrumental in bringing it back after the pandemic. In addition to facilitating the standard LEAD work parties, Ava used the mini-forest project and funding as an integrating context to re-engage students and community members in the LEAD program. Her thesis, “Adoption of Agroforestry Practices in Northwest Washington State: An Ex-ante Case-Study,” represents one of the first examples of using stated choice, an econometric experimental design method, to explore landowner adoption of agroforestry practices. While achieving a 4.0 GPA at Western, Ava has focused on developing her ability to evaluate and scope future natural climate solutions relevant to the PNW, including agroforestry, reforestation, and regenerative agriculture projects.

Ava Stone

Environmental Studies MA

Patrick Monahan Award

The Patrick L. Monahan Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate students with geography-related majors who show strong potential for contributions and leadership in the field of geography. Academic achievement and need are also important considerations. Full-time undergraduates as well as community college students transferring to the College of the Environment as geography-related majors are eligible.

Department geography-related degrees include:

• Geography
• Environmental Studies -- Geography emphasis, BA
• Environmental Studies – Geographic Information Science Emphasis, BA
• Geography – Elementary, BAE
• Geography/Social Studies, BA

Gordon Brunson, Harriett Grantz, Marko Foster (not pictured)