SWAPE Personal Statement

My path through college and the professional world has been exciting so far, but it is now time to take the next step. In order to become an environmental leader and solve the environmental challenges of today and the future in areas relating to energy, economics, and natural resources, I must further my education in graduate school.

I graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Science and a minor in Environmental Engineering in June of 2012. My interdisciplinary major combined classes in environmental science and engineering, conservation, atmospheric and oceanic science, biology, geography, economics, policy, and more, and my senior research project was on the “Life Cycle Analysis of a Battery Electric Vehicle.”
The majority of the clients we serve at SWAPE are law firms which representative plaintiffs in environmental litigation. Often we calculate chemical exposure to determine human health risk from environmental contamination due to emissions or accidental releases. These emissions and releases frequently emanate from large factories owned by huge companies such as Monsanto, Shell, or BP, and from other sources such as gas stations, odor-emitting hot sauce factories, landfills, and hydraulic fracturing (fracking) operations. We also estimate personal exposure of individuals to carcinogenic and toxic chemicals from contaminated consumer products. Within the framework of environmental law, we provide expert testimony for cases regarding public nuisance theory, the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act (California Proposition 65), and the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), among others. In addition to our expert witness services, we also work for private or public entities on uncommon environmental challenges, such as sampling and measuring odor causing chemicals at a burning landfill or troubleshooting an atmospheric water generator filtration system. One project that remains particularly memorable was helping a farmer whose rose plants were destroyed by a negligent neighboring crop-duster. I designed an experiment which proved that
My environmental engineering classes, work experience with water treatment technologies, and volunteering abroad have shown me that water quality is a diverse problem with multiple solutions. The solutions to the challenge of providing clean water vary greatly, depending on the geography, climate, local conditions, and resources available. The best technology for one area might be reverse osmosis filtration, but with high amounts of energy required to maintain high pressure and expensive installation costs, this might not be the proper solution for areas without current energy infrastructure or without enough capital to build a