11/01/2021—
Six Michigan Tech students and three alumni will help lead events and a press conference at the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, Scotland.
As part of the Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (YEAH), a multidisciplinary research and education network of students and faculty from 10 universities across four continents, MTU representatives will help showcase the “Voices of Optimism, Agents of Change” event and exhibit. They will also participate in a press conference Nov. 3 at 11:30 a.m. ET.
The YEAH exhibit was developed by student teams assembled across universities and nations, and will showcase sustainability projects and youth voices on the evolving role of higher education to equip students as scientists and leaders ready to address global environmental challenges. The exhibit was selected in a highly competitive process through the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. It is now live on the virtual exhibit portal at COP26 and will run until Nov. 12.
Additionally, Kathleen Brosemer, a graduate student in Michigan Tech’s environmental and energy policy program, will present “Energy Justice for the Anishnabek” at COP26. Brosemer’s presentation will take place at the Indigenous Peoples Pavilion on Nov. 9 at 12:30 p.m.
Sarah Green, a professor of chemistry and interim chair of the chemistry department at Michigan Tech, leads the MTU students attending COP26. They are:
- Kathleen Brosemer, environmental and energy policy
- Eugene Brown Agyei, humanities
- Ayush Chutani, mechanical engineering
- Jessica Daignault, environmental engineering
- Andrew Huston, mechanical engineering
- Shardul Tiwari, environmental and energy policy
The three MTU alumni participating in COP26 are:
- Amna Ijaz, PhD, chemistry, 2021
- Alexis Pascaris, MS, environmental and energy policy, 2021
- Bruce Woodry, CEO of Sigma Capital Group
About YEAH
The Youth Environmental Alliance in Higher Education (YEAH) was formed in 2019 with support from the National Science Foundation with a goal to provide students with real-world experiences in collaborative, evidence-based approaches to promote global environmental sustainability. YEAH prepares students to engage on climate-related issues across disciplines and cultures, and to be part of the climate solution as scientists and emerging leaders. Participating institutions include Colorado State University, University of Derby, Colorado College, National Agrarian University, Monash University, Michigan Technological University, Indiana University Bloomington, Vanderbilt University, Boston University, University of Connecticut, University of California San Diego Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Moravian University.
Michigan Technological University is a public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, Michigan, and is home to more than 7,000 students from 55 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan’s flagship technological university offers more than 120 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business and economics, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.