EPIC strives to build future leaders in energy and climate change. Doing so requires providing students with critical real world experiences. That’s why EPIC is proud to partner with UChicago Career Advancement to sponsor delegations of UChicago students to attend international climate change conferences convened annually by the Conference of the Parties (COP) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. By attending these conferences, students have the opportunity to learn from and network with leaders in government, industry and NGOs.
The first sponsored delegation traveled to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, in November 2022 to attend COP27. The conference offered sessions on a diverse range of topics, including green finance, transit decarbonization, climate-smart agriculture and water reclamation. Students had the opportunity to choose the sessions that best aligned with their career interests. Additionally, they met with notable representatives, including the Director for Private Sector Engagement from the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Chief Executive of Sustainable Food Trust, and Founder and CEO of Insect Feed Technologies. They also met a delegation from the Congo working on rainforest conservancy, solar panel installation, and energy transitions in local villages, and have since discussed future collaborations. More on reflections from the delegates…
The next sponsored delegation will attend COP28, which will be held from November 30-December 12, 2023 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The graduate student delegation is open to graduate students from the Harris, Booth, and Law schools. Exact dates for the delegation are to be determined. Applications are now live. Application closes June 24th.
Past Participants
Adera Craig
Elizabeth Zazycki
Raghav Pardasani
Zoë Saldinger
Adera Craig is a second year a the University of Chicago studying biology and environmental studies. This summer she interned at the Lincoln Park Zoo. She is one of the co-creators of EPIC’s Energy & Climate Club.
Elizabeth is a fourth-year student at the University of Chicago majoring in history, political science, and geographic information science. During the summer of 2022, she interned at the U.S. Treasury Department’s Climate Hub. She previously interned at People and the Planet First and at the U.S. Department of Interior. Elizabeth is primarily interested in the social and economic effects of climate change as well as energy transitions.
Raghav Pardasani is a second-year in the College, planning to major in Economics and Environmental & Urban Studies. On campus, he is involved with Phoenix Sustainability Initiative, EPIC’s Energy & Climate Club, and the Socially Responsible Investing Club. He is interested in renewable energy transition, energy storage, and environmental justice and colonialism.
Zoë Saldinger is a fourth year environmental studies and public policy double major at the University of Chicago. She is co-president of the Phoenix Sustainability Initiative which frequently partners with EPIC, the Midway Plaisance Advisory Council, and plans to partner with Northwestern and other Chicago-based schools. She is interested in environmental justice, conservation ecology, and the green burial movement.
