EarthLab News
Finding My Place in Climate Work Beyond the Lab
By Angelina Durbin
Climate Health Risk Tool Communications Intern, Summer 2025
For the majority of my life, I believed that climate work had a single entry point. If I wanted to make a meaningful contribution, I needed to be an engineer or a researcher who spent hours in the lab each day. This belief was instilled in me early on due to my educational background.
Crossing the Cascades: The Importance of Inclusive Environmental Communication
By Ella Gebers
Storytelling for Social Change Intern, Summer 2025
Growing up in Wenatchee meant growing up hiking in the foothills, swimming in the Columbia River, and skiing in the mountains. My love for the outdoors blossomed into a love for the environment and a deep appreciation for the childhood it gave me.
During my first year at the University of Washington, I discovered I could use my creativity to design for people with inclusivity in mind through the Human Centered Design and Engineering major.
Finding Connection Through EarthLab’s Cohort Model
By Brianna Blanchard
Storytelling for Social Change Intern, Summer 2024
I was a sophomore in high school when the 2020 lockdown happened. Now that I am almost done with my junior year at the University of Washington, I’ve had lots of time to reflect on what the last five years have taught me about isolation, connection, and the importance of community.
Conserving and communicating on my own terms: My empowering (and muddy) summer as an EarthLab intern
By McKenna Sweet
Conservation Science Intern, Summer 2024
I want to go into wildlife conservation.
This is something I’ve known since my sophomore year of high school after watching an episode of Planet Earth II that highlighted the endangered Indri lemurs, who are endemic to Madagascar. This is also something I tell people when they ask what my majors are and what I want to do after I graduate.
NextGen Narratives | Building A Bridge Between Science and Lived Experience
By Caroline Hale
Climate Justice Academy Evaluation & Coordination Intern, Summer 2024
I grew up very curious about the environment and the natural world around me; as I have grown, so has this curiosity. Questions that pique my interest include: what level of responsibility do we as humans have to protect the environment? What does protection even mean, and do some people carry more responsibility for environmental stewardship than others?
Building Trust, Bridging Gaps: A Conversation with Ashli Blow on Science Communication & Environmental Justice
By Gabriela Palma
Storytelling for Social Change Intern, Summer 2024
As a recent graduate from the University of Washington with a degree in Communication and Environmental Health, my passion for science communication stems from a desire to learn about environmental health, share this knowledge with my friends and family, and address the gap between the scientific community and the public.
Science communication is not just about articulating complex scientific issues; it’s also about making science accessible and encouraging people to be part of the solutions.
Cordy Plymale shares why climate change and human health are deeply connected
CHanGE, where Plymale interned, has a unique focus on researching how climate change impacts the health of vulnerable communities. Because the internship was through UW’s EarthLab, Plymale was part of a cohort of students doing interdisciplinary internships related to the environment and social justice. The student cohort participated in weekly professional development sessions and networking opportunities to connect them with leaders in the climate and health industries.
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NextGen Narratives | Pushing Boundaries as an EarthLab Intern
By Cordy Plymale
Climate Health Risk Tool Intern
When you hear the phrase, “push the boundaries,” what do you think? These three words are the foundation of EarthLab’s mission, which explains that developing innovative, just, and equitable solutions to environmental challenges comes from bridging expertise, partnerships, and resources at UW with the wider community. This past summer, I considered this phrase deeply.
NextGen Narratives | 9 Things I Learned in 9 Weeks as an EarthLab Intern
By Rohini Achal
Nature and Health Policy Intern, Summer 2023
This summer, I had the opportunity to intern for University of Washington’s (UW) EarthLab, an institute that collaborates with community to develop innovative, just, and equitable solutions to environmental challenges. One of EarthLab’s mainstay programs is their undergraduate summer internship experience, which is a cohort-based program that supports professional development and community-engaged work.
NextGen Narratives | Climate Challenges, Collective Solutions: The Story Behind Beating the Heat
By Caitlin Soler
Storytelling for Social Change Intern, Summer 2023
When we think of climate change in the Pacific Northwest, environmental impacts are increasingly at the forefront of our minds: raging wildfires, flooding, and breaking weather records. Two years ago, the Pacific Northwest Heat Dome broke heat records in cities across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, California, and Nevada. In many places, temperatures were 30 degrees above the seasonal average; Seattle alone measured 107°F.
