Andrea recently graduated from Smith College with a degree in Environmental Science and Policy and a minor in Government. Four years committed to studying social-ecological systems and the importance of intersectionality in environmental problem solving had an enormous influence on her, and confirmed that she would make contributing to the environmental justice movement her life’s work, but it’s not where her sense of identity in the field began. Growing up in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, and Miami, Florida, she was a part of two communities where migration, displacement, vulnerability, and profound inequality were deeply rooted forces that molded their realities. In many ways, Andrea’s story and identity are a product of the intersections between climate change, socioeconomic inequality and the globalized forces that shape the relationship between Central America and the United States.
As a researcher, Andrea has studied the effects of foreign aid on small scale farmers facing drought in Honduras and designed a permeable pavement parking lot at Smith college for stormwater management research. As a storyteller, she makes podcasts on all matters climate justice. She hopes to refine this passion more now that she is out of the shadow of academia! Currently, she is a consultant for a non-profit in Northampton, MA and works on implementation and outreach of state-sponsored food access initiatives to make local agriculture accessible for folks on SNAP. She is extremely excited to be a part of the COP23 delegation and looks forward to contributing to SustainUS’s mission in advancing justice and sustainability, with all that she can offer.
