Staff Directory

Stephanie Udler ('05SIPA) has over 20 years of experience based in Washington DC, including roles as Advisor to the Head of Sustainability at Meta and leading sustainability service at Booz Allen Hamilton. Udler is enthusiastic about bringing alumni together in DC to build relationships, share ideas and support career and business development. She strongly believes in the power of her DC sustainability network and would like to help other alumni to build a robust network of their own.

Nour Elgoweili (‘23GS).

Nour is an Associate in Con Edison’s Leadership Development Program. During his first rotation, his work focused on regulatory compliance in state-mandated gas distribution services inspections. Currently, Nour is focused on building energy conservation and efficiency projects within company facilities in line with state and city legislation. His prior experience include an internship at McKinsey where he focused on process improvements in banking and an internship at Crauderueff Solar researching solar policy, tax incentives, and funding. During his time at Columbia, Nour presided over the SDG Hub and was the Sustainability and Community Services Chair on the General Studies Student Council. 

Nour is motivated by the intersection of energy, environmental policy, and business sustainability, particularly focusing on advancing climate action and environmental justice through intersectional mitigation and adaptation efforts.

Niki Shah is a sustainability professional with over 15 years of experience integrating sustainable development, finance, policy, and technology. He specializes in carbon management, green finance, ESG and climate risk, nature impact assessments, and policy development. Niki has led tech-enabled sustainability initiatives for global clients across industries including finance, healthcare, energy, and manufacturing, and previously served with the U.S. House Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, the UN Global Compact, and AmeriCorps VISTA. As founder of Satva Sustainability Advisory & Consulting Services, he helps mid-market companies build stronger relationships with EU-based suppliers and navigate evolving ESG and climate regulations. Based in Fair Lawn, NJ, Niki practices meditation and Ayurveda, enjoys reading, exploring vegan cuisine, mentoring, and volunteering to expand feeding programs supporting women and children.

Class of 2022

I am a driven and passionate sustainable developmentalist dedicated to innovating and performing transformative work in the linkage between climate change solutions and sustainable development, through climate finance. I am specifically willing to seek opportunities that are focused on less developed regions, where I could build bridges to push for cooperation and co-creation between stakeholders to promote impact at scale.

With over 10 years of experience in technology operations, program management, and business consulting, Mina is a leader in sustainability management with a passion for driving positive impact and innovation. 

As Group Sustainability Accelerator Strategy and Business Performance Lead at Capgemini, Mina helps clients meet sustainability goals and create stakeholder value through expertise in corporate strategy, regulatory reporting, and policy. She applies design thinking to deliver user-centric solutions across industries including consumer products and retail, pharmaceuticals, high-tech, and non-profits.

Mel Peh ('23SIPA) manages the asset class work for the Net-Zero Asset Owner Alliance convened by United Nations Environment Program Finance Initiative (UNEP FI). Before joining UNEP FI, she worked on climate risk advisory at KKR as an Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corp fellow and provided client and deal advisory on sustainable finance at United Overseas Bank.

In addition to his MPA-ESP degree, she holds Bachelor in Business (Honors) with a major in Banking and Finance from Nanyang Technological University (Singapore).

Matteo is a climate advocate and science communicator. Having recently moved to London, he volunteers for the Healthy Streets Scorecard initiative, to minimize the impact of surface level pollution in London.

Before joining the MPA-ESP program in 2022, he worked in Business Development in the software industry for 4 years, having obtained a Bachelor in Business Administration from Bocconi, University of Southern California and Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

Libby Kokes (‘20CC). 

Libby is lucky to be from, and to now live and work, in the nature-wise crown jewel that is the Pacific Northwest. She operates jointly as a Research Data Analyst at Nickerson & Associates, a 45 year-old analytical economics and professional services consulting firm, and as Program Manager at / Nickerson Random Drawings & Lotteries, Inc., which administers the employment lotteries for the West Coast’s 29 unionized shipping ports.

Joining the alumni board is a way for Libby to cross the bridge back to an explicit focus on building momentum for sustainable communities. Seattle is an ideal place to stay motivated about advocating for climate-forward operations and policy: we have long resided in a haven away from the extreme weather that sweeps much of the rest of the country, and at least partly as a result, we are a hub of technology, research, philanthropy innovation. Libby looks forward to harnessing the sustainability alumni energy on the ground here and beyond. 
 

Kaled is experienced in Sustainable management with demonstrated accomplishment in successfully developing and delivering capital projects within the City of New York. He is a strong sustainability professional and skilled in continuous improvement processes, Contract Management, Water Resource Management, Risk Management, Project Planning and Program Communication. Kaled's primary goal is to assist municipalities to achieve cost effective and sustainable solutions with long-term benefits.

Julia-Grace Sanders ('23SIPA) is a dedicated sustainability specialist at AECOM collaborating with public and private-sector clients to assess and mitigate climate risk. Her experience includes environmental policy & program development, climate risk analysis, decarbonization & climate resilience strategy, application of systems thinking & circular design principles, sustainability reporting, and grant writing. She has extensive experience tackling complex environmental problems through a combination of research, analysis, and storytelling.

Johan is a multilingual professional with experience in Sustainable Development, Green Finance, Institutional Operations, Global Partnerships, and Social Impact Initiatives. He currently serves as the Partnerships and Capacity Building Director at the Institute for Sustainable Investing with Morgan Stanley. Johan is passionate about driving positive change through social and environmental initiatives.

Jimin is a Development Associate at Arevon Energy, where she advances utility-scale solar and energy storage projects from concept to execution. In addition to the SUMA network, she remains active in the Environmental Defense Fund’s Climate Corps community, serves on the Emory Alumni Association’s Sustainability Committee, and volunteers with Elizabeth Street Garden, helping to cultivate and manage green spaces.

Born in Seoul and having gained professional experience across the U.S., Singapore, and Hong Kong, Jimin brings a global perspective and diverse network that strengthens alumni and professional communities across regions. She is passionate about building sustainable cities and fostering meaningful connections through events, career-oriented programming, and sustainability initiatives.

Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, tennis, boxing, and exploring art galleries, jazz clubs, cuisines, and wines.

Jesse Thorson (‘18CC). 

Jesse Thorson is a Sustainability & ESG Strategist at Third Partners, a boutique management consultancy where he manages client engagements in tech, agriculture, manufacturing, and apparel. He has worked on projects spanning tech product development, sustainable packaging innovation, circularity strategy, and philanthropy, and is a member of the board of directors at Do For One, a relationship building program for adults with disabilities in New York City.

Jesse previously worked at the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University, where he managed research and convening initiatives at the intersection of sustainability, ethics, and religion. Jesse is a co-editor of Ethics in Action for

Sustainable Development (Columbia University Press 2022) with Jeffrey D. Sachs, Owen Flanagan, William Vendley, Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, and Anthony Annett, and has additional experience in academia, renewable energy, nonprofit, and freelance consulting. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sustainable Development from Columbia University.

Jennifer Allyn (Class of 2023)

Jennifer leads campaigns for ClimateVoice to unlock corporate influence to address the crisis at scale. Our programs mobilize employees to push their companies to lobby for bold and equitable climate policy. Before switching careers to work on climate, Jennifer led diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, most recently as a Managing Director at PwC.

Gustavo is a 2012 C+S graduate, anthropologist, sound artist, and filmmaker. He has carried out fieldwork in the Andes, collaborated in scientific expeditions to obtain ice cores from mountain glaciers, worked as a field producer for BBC’s Frozen Planet II, and participated as a chapter scientist in the IPCC’s Sixth Assessment Report.

Frank Agwuncha is currently the Director of Sustainability at Vertical Bridge, where he leads the company’s sustainability strategy, focusing on decarbonization and risk management, to drive impactful corporate strategy. With over 12 years of experience in the energy and technology sectors, he has managed complex projects ranging from oil and gas field development to emissions reduction, and operational efficiency.

Before joining Vertical Bridge, Frank held various roles at Shell, overseeing major projects in asset development and execution. He also served as an associate at Columbia University, preparing graduate students for the workforce through training in cost-benefit analysis, and sustainable investment.

Frank is actively engaged in climate advocacy, serving on advisory boards for the Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps and Climate Impact Partners, and as a member of OpenMinds.

Eva Fearn ('03SIPA) is a deeply experienced mid-career professional fully dedicated to the international environmental non-profit space, including positions at the UNDP, Wildlife Conservation Society, and The Nature Conservancy. Eva sees great value in connecting accomplished people who are driven by a purpose as our careers can always be strengthened by cross-pollination with people working in adjacent fields. She is committed to developing new opportunities for connection across the tri-state area.

Edanur Hardal (‘20GS).

Eda is a Senior Sustainability Analyst at EcoVadis. She graduated with a dual Bachelor’s degree from Sciences Po Paris and Columbia’s School of General Studies. Her passion in enhancing sustainability practices in businesses led her to pursuing a career in supply chain & procurement sustainability ratings. Her previous experience includes business development at a Miami-based startup and research in non-CO2 greenhouse gasses at a Washington, D.C.-based think tank. 

After living in New York for 5 years, she now resides in Paris.

Arnaud ('16SIPA) works as Associate Director of European Union Policy at the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), a global conservation organisation working to save wildlife and wild places worldwide. He previously served in intergovernmental organisations including the United Nations Development Programme and the European Commission. 

He holds a MSc. in Bioengineering from the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and an MPA in Environmental Science and Policy from Columbia University.

Amber Hughes (Class of 2020)

Amber has worked in government service for nearly 10 years at the state and local levels. She currently serves as a Senior Analyst for the Department of Administrative Services, Division of Energy Management overseeing the city buildings portfolio to comply with Local Law 87. She works across all city agencies to identify energy saving measures, focusing on environmental justice areas, in an effort to help the city reach their emission reduction targets. Prior to this role, she worked at the NYC Department of Parks and Recreation in environmental remediation and the George Department of Natural Resources in dam safety.

Alexander is a sustainability professional committed to unlocking the value of ESG, accelerating the circular economy, and fostering a regenerative society. He has experience in corporate sustainability strategy, emissions management and reduction, life cycle assessment, ESG reporting, circularity implementation, and environmental commodities management. Alexander's background spans working with startups, nonprofits, medium-sized enterprises, and multinational organizations in the United States and Europe.