Support the Brower Youth Awards
2024 Winners | ||
Vishruth DineshFremont, CAEmpowering youth to achieve self-sustainability through gardening |
Raina MaigaIndianapolis, IndianaEmpowering youth to push for policy change |
Asa MillerHartsdale, New YorkHelping restore Cuba’s coral reefs |
Austin PicinichKirkland, WashingtonSaving Salmon through art |
Yuki QianPittsburgh, PennsylvaniaHelping with radon remediation in Pittsburgh |
Amelia Southern-UribeFayetteville, ArkansasSupporting equitable climate education |
Pia MacDonald, PhD, MPH, CPH, is a scientist with a background in health and environmental sciences. She currently works at RTI International, a nonprofit research institute, and has more than 25 years of experience in domestic and international epidemiological research and public health. Dr. MacDonald has roots in environmental sciences and especially the intersection of climate and health, including, more broadly, planetary health. She serves as principal investigator and/or project director of large contracts and grants funded by the National Institutes of Health and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and has successfully won millions of dollars in federal grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements. In addition to federal agencies that have funded her work, she routinely engages with other federal agencies, national associations, and entities in the philanthropic and multilateral arena. Dr. MacDonald builds and leads multidisciplinary teams to solve complex societal problems. Her track record of strategic innovation, visionary leadership, and management skills is very strong and long lasting. She has been successful at the University of North Carolina, Social & Scientific Systems, Inc., and RTI International to mentor people and help grow research portfolios and programs. Dr. MacDonald is an adjunct associate professor in the Department of Epidemiology at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition to more than 80 journal articles, Dr. MacDonald published the book Methods in Field Epidemiology.
Ilana Cohen is an accomplished climate justice advocate, as well as a freelance climate journalist and frequent contributor to The Nation. Currently, she is a Joyce Lowinson Institute for International Law and Justice Scholar at NYU Law, with plans to use her law degree to address the intersection of climate change and human rights. Prior to law school, Ilana conducted environmental policy research as a Fulbright Scholar and David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies Fellow in Peru. As an undergraduate at Harvard University, where she received her B.A. in Social Studies and Philosophy, Ilana relaunched and co-led the successful Fossil Fuel Divest Harvard campaign, securing a landmark commitment from Harvard to divest its over $50 billion endowment from the fossil fuel industry. In 2022, Ilana received a Brower Youth Award for this activism and her work co-founding the Campus Climate Network nonprofit organization, which trains and coordinates climate activists across university campuses internationally.
Kelsey Ring is a seasoned climate and sustainability professional with a proven track record of driving positive change. Her experience spans roles at prominent organizations such as the Clinton Global Initiative, World Resources Institute, Earth Island Institute, and the Peace Corps. Kelsey excels in program and relationship management, policy analysis, and community engagement. She has led multi-year initiatives focused on scaling regenerative agriculture, supporting systems for a just energy transition, and amplifying the work of community led nature-based solutions to preserve and restore biodiversity. With a strong foundation in research and data analysis, Kelsey has successfully translated complex information into actionable strategies. Her commitment to environmental justice and sustainable development is evident in her work, both domestically and internationally, where she prioritizes cross-collaboration and campaign strategy development with diverse stakeholders to catalyze action.
Mykela Patton is a long-time advocate for environmental justice and has participated in the climate justice movement since she was 16 years old. Mykela has supported local and regional movements related to No Coal in Oakland and Just Transition efforts throughout the Bay Area. Mykela is passionate about youth voices in the environmental justice movement leading the New Voices are Rising Program as the Associate Program Director. Mykela received her environmental policy degree with an environmental justice concentration at Colby College.