Ellen Ma

Ellen Ma is a third-year undergraduate majoring in Biological Sciences and Environmental Studies. She is interested in urban development and sustainable building design, and she is also looking into agrotech and sustainable food innovation. Ellen is currently co-president of the Phoenix Sustainability Initiative and has fulfilled service and leadership roles within the organization for the past three years. She is also a research assistant for UChicago’s Environmental Frontiers Campus program, working to improve energy efficiency measures in campus laboratories. Ellen is excited to attend COP28 and see the dynamics of dialogue between countries. Further, she is curious how the fossil fuel industry will be addressed at the delegation.

“COP28 was a great opportunity to learn about global environmental initiatives. I got to talk with leaders in academia about climate research and improving campus sustainability through activism. COP28 also encouraged me to focus on how political and corporate representatives can improve conversations between public and private sectors such as standardizing environmental regulations.”