J.I. Cruz is a Frederick Douglass Distinguished Scholar at American University where he is pursuing a BS in Chemistry and a minor in Sustainability Management. He hails from Bayamón, Puerto Rico.
J.I. cares deeply about how communities interact with their solid waste and energy systems, as well as how these systems impact the communities in turn. Previously, he has been involved with the Sierra Student Coalition in Puerto Rico, was a Class of 2015 Fellow for Global Citizen Year in Senegal, and was a 2015 GlobalMindED Scholar and a 2017 Aspen Ideas Scholar.
Currently, he is piloting a project that helps faith-based institutions in Puerto Rico become community models for environmental sustainability by adopting zero waste practices and solar energy ownership.
In the future, J.I. hopes to dedicate his life to finding innovative, community-oriented solutions to solid waste management issues across the globe.
