2026 Sustainability Interns
Izzy Andrus
Climate Action Intern
Izzy is a senior from Portland, Oregon, and is majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in Anthropology. Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, she always felt connected to nature and spent most of her free time outdoors. She has since devoted herself to advocating for sustainability and environmental justice. At Richmond, Izzy has helped create a stronger student movement of environmental awareness and stewardship. In her free time, Izzy enjoys hanging out with friends, hiking, swimming, and playing soccer.
Eden Burrell
Tree Conservation Intern
Eden is a sophomore from Greenville, SC, majoring in Biology and Geography, with a minor in Spanish. Her passion for the environment started in middle school when her family went vegan, prompting her to watch a wide range of environmental documentaries. Since then, she has nurtured a love of the outdoors, which carries into her work with trees on campus. In her free time, she enjoys playing volleyball, hiking, rock climbing, biking, and hanging out with friends.
Ava Dibattista
Eco-Corridor Maintenance Student Employee
Ava is a junior from Greenville, SC majoring in Biology and Environmental Studies. She loves working in the Eco-corridor to make it a community friendly and ecologically productive environment and meeting the volunteers that help make that happen. She is a member of UR's Women's Club Volleyball team and the UR Ecology and Conservation Club. In her free time, she enjoys hiking and going to the James River with her friends.
Emery Elkinson
Tree Conservation Intern
Emery Elkinson is a junior from Lexington, KY majoring in Environmental Studies with minors in Geography and Spanish. Her passion for the environment comes from early experiences exploring the outdoors with her family. In high school, Emery became involved in environmental justice and interned with the Lexington's Division of Planning where she co-authored the city's first net-zero emissions goals. In her free time Emery enjoys camping, hiking, cooking, reading, and spending time with friends.
Duncan Hall
Eco-Corridor Maintenance Student Employee
Duncan Hall is a junior from Milton, Massachusetts, studying Business Administration with concentrations in Finance and International Business and a minor in Sustainability. On campus at Richmond, Duncan works for the Center of Civic Engagement's PACE Program and has served as the treasurer for WDCE 90.1 FM Radio. Duncan is also the President of his fraternity and volunteers at the Greater Boston Food Bank. Most recently, he returned from studying abroad at the Stockholm School of Economics in Sweden, where he completed a project about Sweden's sustainability culture through sports. Duncan also enjoys watching movies, spending time outdoors, and engaging with sustainability-minded people.
Nidhi Karnik
Sustainability Planning & Strategy Intern
Nidhi is a freshman from River Vale, New Jersey, and plans on majoring in Economics and Leadership Studies. She loves skiing and hiking, and these activities sparked her appreciation for the outdoors and interest in sustainability. In Spring 2025, she established a community garden and composting site in her home county, and she also advocates for environmental justice issues through her policy work with New Jersey Food and Water Watch and Southside ReLeaf in Richmond. Outside of this, Nidhi loves playing instruments and working with kids.
Tal Sheleg
Sustainability Planning & Strategy Intern
Tal is a first-year from Leadville, Colorado (the highest incorporated town in the USA!). She plans to major in Geography and Business Administration, with a minor in Gender and Sexuality Studies. Her love of the outdoors came from amazing hiking and camping trips with her family across Alaska and Colorado, and from fun running adventures in the mountains with her friends. In high school, Tal transitioned her high school to solar panels and founded an environmental club that focuses on outdoor accessibility in her rural town. She loves running, knitting, reading, skiing, and hiking!
Rosie Weiss
Eco-Corridor Stewardship Intern
Rosie is a freshman from Closter, New Jersey, planning on majoring in Global Studies and Business Administration. She grew up on her family’s organic farm, where she gained an appreciation for the interrelationships between food, health, and sustainability. As a former NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Youth Ambassador, Rosie founded Oceanlink, a non-profit organization dedicated to conserving marine biodiversity. With a passion for regenerative food systems, Rosie published a feature in Forks Over Knives Magazine and this past year, spearheaded a partnership between New Jersey’s largest hospital system and local growers. In her free time, Rosie enjoys skiing, cooking, hiking, writing, and spending time with friends.
Claire Wiley
Alumni Connection & Engagement Intern
Claire is a sophomore majoring in Environmental Studies with minors in Business Administration and Sociology. She grew up moving around the country in a Navy family, which gave her an appreciation for different environments and communities, especially places near the water. She’s particularly interested in the connection between business and environmental responsibility and hopes to work in corporate sustainability after graduation. Outside of academics, Claire enjoys spending time along the James River, reading, watching movies, and being with friends.