Fellows

Alana Winn

Alana Winn (She/Her) is double majoring in Urban Studies/Planning and History. She joined this fellowship because she grew up in San Diego deeply interested in the history and inequities of the city, mainly concerned with economic and racial injustices maintained by city planning. At UC San Diego, she discovered her broader interests in the socio-environmental challenges that are both shared across the border, and separated by the border. As someone interested in urban planning, these topics include blue-green infrastructure, expanding green spaces, and generally bridging the gap between our environment and our cities. To her, this fellowship is a vessel in which she can learn more about the region she grew up in and contribute to a broader effort that rights the wrongs of its history.

Aliya Ahmed

Aliya Ahmed (She/Her) is majoring in Public Health with Concentration in Climate and Environmental Sciences. She was drawn to this fellowship because it offers the opportunity to conduct environmental fieldwork while collaborating with community organizations, residents, and leaders in the San Diego–Tijuana border region. She's passionate about combining urban and infrastructural interventions with public health approaches to address environmental health issues.

Ash Kamyshenko

Ash Kamyshenko (They/He) are majoring in Anthropology with Concentrating in Climate Studies and Human Solutions, and minoring in Climate Change Studies. With their focus in climate change studies and anthropology, they've had a lot of interest in local-scale initiatives that support the human and non-human communities in the San Diego area, especially when looking at climate justice and action. They were drawn to the Mellon Fellowship because of the interdisciplinary approaches and focuses the program employs, and they have greatly enjoyed gaining more insight into San Diego through a hands-on lens.

Chloe Moghnieh

Chloe Moghnieh (She/Her) is majoring in Environmental Systems/Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution, alongside a Chemistry minor. She felt drawn to the Mellon Community Stations Fellowship because it provides an opportunity to connect her existing scientific understanding of climate change and environmental harm with social justice, two ideas she feels strongly about. Growing up in Northern California, she witnessed summer temperatures skyrocket and winter flooding risk increase, with the most vulnerable communities being marginalized and lower-income populations. With a passion for environmental justice, she hopes to be a part of the research that closes this socio-environmental gap in our local community through this fellowship.

Cristopher Plascencia

Cristopher Plascencia (He/Him) is majoring in Urban Studies and Planning with Concentration in Public Policy. He was drawn to the Mellon Community Stations Fellowship because it offers the chance to combine hands-on fieldwork with meaningful collaboration alongside local communities. The focus on climate action, equity, and long-term relationship building reflects his commitment to using his education to address real-world challenges. He's excited by the opportunity to learn from community partners and contribute to projects that foster resilience and sustainability in the San Diego–Tijuana region.

Diana Hernandez Cervantes

Diana Hernandez Cervantes (She/Her) is a fourth-year student majoring in Human Developmental Sciences with Specialization in Healthy Aging and minoring in Global Health. She felt drawn to the Mellon Community Station Fellowship because of her passion for public service, healthcare, and advocating for vulnerable aging populations. She felt drawn to the MCSF hoping to gain better knowledge on the aging process in diverse cultural contexts, explore informal settlements supporting older adults in San Diego and Tijuana and contribute to forming healthy and resilient communities.

Gwendolyn Galindo Orozco

Gwendolyn Galindo Orozco (She/Her) is majoring in Public Health with Concentration in Medicine Sciences. She got interested in the Mellon Community Stations Fellowship because it reflects her own commitment to uplifting and learning from the communities she serves. Growing up in Compton, she witnessed how powerful it can be when local voices are valued in shaping change, which has guided her volunteer and leadership work at UC San Diego. She has seen the importance of bridging resources with real community needs. This fellowship felt like a natural next step to deepen her ability to connect academic work with the lived experiences of underrepresented communities.

Hristina Evtimova

Hristina Evtimova (She/Her) is majoring in Clinical Psychology at UC San Diego. She felt called towards this internship due to her interest in how environment, culture, and community shape mental health and resilience. Through hands-on experiences, she is hoping to explore and connect the overlap between psychology and environmental justice, while also strengthening her research skills, preparing for a future career in clinical practice, and learning how psychology can be applied outside of traditional settings.

Isabel Jáuregui

Isabel Jáuregui (She/Her) is a Visual Arts Media major at UC San Diego. Being a transborder citizen, she has lifelong exposure to the everyday consequences of border conflict. She has made it part of her practice to examine the portrayal of the border and fronterizo culture in American fictional media, and how this reflects on the popular American consciousness. Because of this, she has a particular interest in creating work that allows border communities to self-represent from the inside, rather than be observed and fictionalized from the exterior. She felt called to this internship because it prioritizes interdisciplinary practices, community collaboration, and creating long-term practical solutions for underserved border neighborhoods.

Kassandra Delgado

Kassandra Delgado (They/Them) are a third-year student double majoring in Education Sciences and Urban Studies/Planning. At the core of these two disciplines, however different they may appear, is a dedication to serving a community. That’s why they became a Mellon Fellow; at the university, “community” becomes a baseless, abstract concept, and they wanted to truly engage in the trust, commitment, and dedication necessary to being in service to a space and people. They are excited for this year!

Lana Murray

Lana Murray (She/They) is a senior Urban Studies and Planning and Data Science double major, with a minor in Critical Gender Studies. She applied for this fellowship with interest in community centered adaptation planning and watershed mapping. She hopes to take the experiences and skills developed over the course of this year to better navigate and support community centered planning through an environmental justice lens.

Merav Price

Merav Price (They/Them) are a third-year English literature major at UC San Diego. They applied to this internship after working with some of the Green Team high schoolers, the extended environmental education program run out of EarthLab. After seeing how empowered and motivated the kids were, they decided to apply, hoping for more of an opportunity to work with these kids and help them learn the power of their voice and the power of strong climate literacy in understanding their own lives and communities better.

Sophia Casantusan

Sophia Casantusan (She/Her) is a rising fourth-year student double majoring in Political Science and Communication. While working at after-school programs throughout her undergraduate career, she was drawn to this fellowship because it allowed her to incorporate her passion for hands-on environmental education with young learners. Getting to know the narratives of the youth and community members exploring environmental, social, and political issues through education and outreach during this fellowship experience has inspired her interest in productive community action, especially among the youth.