RCC 2025 Stanback Fellows
RCC Stanback Fellow – Abena Appiah-Ofori
Abena Appiah-Ofori is a second-year graduate student at Duke University’s Sanford School of Public Policy. A proud global citizen originally from Ghana, she has spent most of her formative years in Virginia, where she earned her undergraduate degree in Global Development and Religious Studies from the University of Virginia. Before starting her graduate studies, Abena took a gap year on a State Department fellowship in Germany. This experience deepened her appreciation for cities and communities that invest in sustainable infrastructure to create systems and facilities that make environmentally friendly behaviors more accessible and achievable. This past school year, she has focused her research and engagement on climate resilience and financial well-being within the Appalachian region. As an RCC Fellow, she hopes to combine her interests in policy, storytelling, and grassroots advocacy to grow her ability to support vulnerable communities. When time allows, she enjoys practicing yoga, taking sunny garden walks, or catching up on the latest popular show.
RCC Stanback Fellow – Lawrence Wu
Lawrence Wu is a junior at Duke University, majoring in History and Environmental Science & Policy with a certificate in Energy & Environment. With a strong interest in environmental regulations, he is a Climate Scholar at the Nicholas School, where he researches how legal frameworks and emissions trading systems shape responses to the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism. At Duke, Lawrence currently serves as a Research Assistant at the Duke Center for Firearms Law and an executive board member of Duke Mock Trial. He has worked on green steel investments for a steel finance group in Belgium and standardized sustainability-related terminology as an Operations Intern at Regen Network. He is excited to continue exploring the intersection of law, markets, and sustainability through hands-on research and advocacy. In his free time, Lawrence enjoys skiing, cooking, and watching Formula 1.
RCC Stanback Fellow – Jeremy Sabol
Jeremy Sabol is a second-year graduate student at Duke University, pursuing a Master of Environmental Management with concentrations in Environmental Economics and Policy and Coastal and Marine Systems. Proudly born and raised in New Jersey for most of his life, his family later moved to Florida, where he subsequently attended the University of Florida and earned a B.S. in Psychology and a B.A. in Economics. Jeremy’s passion for environmental stewardship was ignited during a study abroad program in Australia, leading him to add a minor in Sustainability Studies and explore a career in the environmental field. He seeks to leverage his interdisciplinary background in psychology and economics to promote sustainable behavior and policies by helping individuals understand the economic, ecological, and social benefits of environmental action. While he has a personal connection to coastal environments – having lived near the coast for 18 years – Jeremy is committed to driving meaningful change across a range of issues. In his free time, he enjoys visiting historical and natural sites, playing games with friends, and rooting for the New York Yankees, New Jersey Devils, and Florida Gators.
RCC Stanback Fellow – Mary Mulualem
Mary Mulualem is a senior at Duke Kunshan University majoring in Global Cultural Studies and World Literature. She is currently the Deputy Editor-in-Chief of DKU’s student newspaper The LilyPad, where she oversees coverage of Duke’s China campus as well as arts and culture themed student submissions. She covers DKU as a staff writer for the Duke Chronicle’s ‘Kunshan Report’. She is also an Editorial Assistant at The Shanghai Literary Review, where she works with an international masthead to curate and copy edit the magazine’s bi-annual editions. Born in Connecticut, she is half Ethiopian and grew up in Ethiopia, Jordan and Germany because of her family’s work as diplomats, which inspired her interest in cross-cultural communication and global policy. Previously, she served as a Research Assistant at DKU’s Global Health Research Center studying the effectiveness of the 2022 UN Conference on Biodiversity. She has also volunteered as a social worker at Southington Community Services in Connecticut, as an English teacher for local children in Kunshan and at Yuefeng Dao organic farm. In her free time she enjoys cycling, travelling, movie theaters and birding. During her time at the Rachel Carson Council she aims to gain further research and journalism experience with a focus on sustainability and bird-related policies and practices.
RCC Stanback Fellow – Lydia Farr
Lydia Farr is a junior at Duke University pursuing a B.S. in Economics, with a minor in Spanish, and a certificate in Energy & the Environment. After developing an interest in environmental issues in high school and spreading awareness on climate change with her high school’s environmental club, Lydia became interested in energy and climate policy during her courses in the Global Energy cluster of Duke’s FOCUS program. She is a member of the Duke Energy and Climate Club, and is an Undergraduate Representative for the Working Group on the Environment in Latin America, a graduate student group through the Nicholas School of the Environment. Lydia is involved on campus as a student-athlete on the Duke Dancing Devils team, and is working to connect her team to local community service opportunities as a national fellow through The Team’s Engaged Athlete Fellowship. At RCC, Lydia hopes to gain experience with the inner workings of political advocacy, develop journalism skills, and learn more about navigating the evolving political landscape surrounding climate action.
RCC Stanback Presidential Fellow – MacEva Wright
MacEva Wright is a second-year graduate student at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment. There, she is working towards earning a Master of Environmental Management degree with an emphasis on Coastal and Marine Systems and Environmental Justice. Having spent her early childhood in Brooklyn, NY, MacEva and her family relocated to Atlanta, GA, where she spent most of her formative years. After earning her B.S. in Biology from the University of North Georgia in December of 2022, MacEva went on to serve as a Rare Species Research Assistant for Grand Canyon National Park (GRCA) via the National Park Service and the Latino Heritage Internship Program. It was through this experience that her passion for strengthening environmental stewardship, advocacy, and scientific literacy outside of the scientific community blossomed. As a continuation of these passions, MacEva has fully immersed herself in courses like Ocean Law and Policy and the Environmental Law and Policy Clinic to better understand the relationships between science, policy, and justice. By serving as an RCC Fellow, she hopes to grow in her ability to share stories that connect science, justice, and community. When time allows, she enjoys reading, crafting, and giggling with anyone who loves a good laugh.
RCC Stanback Presidential Fellow – Ewan Dignon
Ewan Dignon is an undergraduate at Duke University studying Public Policy (B.A.) and Economics (B.A.) with a minor in Environmental Sciences and Policy. Born in San Francisco, he grew up along the Connecticut shoreline. Before going to Duke, Ewan worked in local and congressional political campaigns, fostering a passion for advocacy and policy work. At Duke, he worked on a research team studying the formation of ghost forests along the North Carolina coast, examining the economic cause-and-effect relationship between development and environmental change. In the future, he hopes to work in economic policy analysis and advocacy. In Ewan’s spare time, he enjoys hiking, watching soccer, and reading in a hammock.
RCC Stanback Fellow – Ludlow Morris
Ludlow Morris is a junior at Duke University, double majoring in Environmental Science and Policy and Public Policy, with a minor in Italian Studies. Before attending Duke, he spent time working as a rewilding assistant in Asturias, Spain. Then he advised a UK farm, transforming it from traditional to sustainable agriculture, while maintaining financial viability. He is passionate about researching food systems, the farm bill and regenerative agriculture. He would like to change the interaction between farmers and conservationists. Ludlow enjoys participating in extreme sports (such as Freediving and the Cresta Run), wildlife photography, traveling and playing the bagpipes.
RCC Stanback Fellow- Enkhjin Purevsukh
Enkhjin Purevsukh is a senior and dual-degree student at Duke Kunshan University and Duke University, majoring in Computation with Design in Social Policy with a concentration in Sustainability. Originally from Govi-Altai, Mongolia, Enji is passionate about climate storytelling, circular fashion, and equity-driven environmental action. At Duke, she served as a Student Affairs Sustainability Project Intern, where she led communications around sustainability initiatives. She also worked as a Resident Assistant at Duke Kunshan University, building inclusive, creative, and environmentally conscious communities on campus.
Enji has experience in marketing, event planning, and project management across nonprofits and corporate settings. She was awarded the Coach Dream It Real x Coachtopia Scholarship for her work in upcycling Mongolian traditional wear from waste materials. Her academic projects explore the intersection of climate justice, digital communication, society and AI. On the side, she enjoys reading children’s books and once worked as a fairytale reader for The Asia Foundation in Mongolia. In her free time, she loves thrifting, earthing, traveling, watching TV shows, playing soccer, trying new food and activities as well as exploring parks. At RCC, Enji hopes to build her skills in policy analysis, environmental communication, and grassroots advocacy, while learning how to support just and community-centered climate solutions
RCC Stanback Fellow – Ava Betanco-Born
Ava Betanco-Born is a sophomore at Duke University pursuing a double major in Environmental Science and Policy and Public Policy. Originally from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Ava has long been inspired by the beauty of the natural world. She is equally driven by the urgency of environmental challenges that she has witnessed first hand such justice and natural disasters. This dichotomy has motivated her to educate herself on and work to mitigate environmental issues – ultimately with the goal of creating meaningful change. Prior to attending Duke, she dedicated her summers to working at a local organic farm, gaining a deeper appreciation for how environmental issues affect everyday life. Ava is particularly interested in the effectiveness of environmental policies in the United States and international environmental agreements and frameworks under the United Nations. During high school, to explore these interests, she conducted an independent research project aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of the Kyoto Protocol, Paris Agreement, and Conference of the Parties framework. At Duke, she works closely with Duke Climate Coalition’s Internal Actions team, dedicated to pushing Duke University to divest from fossil fuels. She is also an Online Editor for the Duke Undergraduate Law review, and works closely with writers to develop articles aimed at promoting legal discourse. Outside of academics and advocacy, she enjoys getting outside, listening to music, and going to the gym. As an RCC Stanback Fellow, Ava is eager to continue developing her skills and further immerse herself in the intricacies of environmental policy.
RCC Stanback Fellow – Shraddha Sharma
Shraddha Sharma is a Master of Environmental Management candidate at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, specializing in climate strategy and sustainability. With a background in ESG consulting at KPMG India, she has worked on corporate decarbonization, greenhouse gas accounting, and climate risk reporting for Fortune 500 clients. At Duke, Shraddha supports the Office of Climate and Sustainability and serves on the Graduate and Professional Student Government Climate Crisis Committee as a senator, where she contributes to university-wide climate resilience planning. Her interests lie in environmental justice, carbon accountability, and communicating complex climate issues to broader audiences. As a 2025 RCC Fellow, she looks forward to using her research and advocacy skills to support frontline communities and advance bold, equity-driven climate policy.
