• Nicolas Abstoss
• Justin Adams
• Hanns Anders
• Jason Angel
• Christina Bosch
• Hunt Briggs
• Kathryn Buckner
• Michael Buday
• Gregory Buzzell
• Luis Calderon
• Charlotte Coultrap-Bagg
• Paul Davis
• Mark Ellis
• Laura Frey

• Bryan Hogle
• Lisa Ingmarsson
• Taka Isshiki
• Bharath Iyengar
• Aaron Jones
• Kripal Kavi
• Sean Killian
• Cynthia Koenig
• Mark Leo
• Samuel Lines
• Alexander Linkow
• Jamie Mikkelsen
• Katherine O'Hare
• John O'Shea
• Eva Owens

• Laura Palombi
• Arthur Peterson
• Alanya Schofield
• Sarah Shapiro
• Rebecca Silver
• Nathan Springer
• Martin Suchy
• Tina Tam
• Jeremy Taub
• Amrita Vijay Kumar
• Jennifer Wein
• David Weinglass
• Nicolas Wetzler
• Niels Zellers

Nick is interested in renewable energy power generation and implementation, and cleantech innovation, and green manufacturing practices. Nick is also a Tauber Institute for Global Operations Fellow, and is working towards integrating lean manufacturing principles, continuous improvement, six-sigma analysis, and stochastic modeling with renewable energy systems and industrial ecology. Nick most recently interned as an associate for the University of Michigan Health System conducting a strategic evaluation of a commercial-scale pharmaceutical manufacturing facility: how best to use it, how to run it efficiently, and how to reduce its energy intensity. Before attending the University of Michigan, Nick spent 6 years in the steel industry as a sales and trading manager, and environmental compliance lead on a steel mill installation project in Torrance, CA. Nick received his BA in Political Science from Colgate University in Hamilton, NY.

Justin joined the Erb Program to pursue his interests in entrepreneurship and sustainable enterprise. He is exploring the intersection of information technology, strategy, and sustainability. Specifically, he wants to find ways to use information to internalize market externalities. This past summer he helped the Blue Ocean Institute develop an organizational strategy and conducted business development work that will culminate in the development of an iPhone application to distribute Blue Ocean's seafood sustainability ratings. He has a background in Internet startups, television news and telecommunications consulting. He recognized the desperate need to put the human economy on a sustainable ecological foundation while exploring 35 countries on 4 continents. He holds a bachelors degree in Political Science from Vassar College.

Hanns is entering the Erb program with a focus on strategy, finance, and cleantech entrepreneurship.  Prior to Michigan, he spent three years with Calim Private Equity, a small venture capital/private equity firm based in Aspen, CO.  As an assistant portfolio manager and financial analyst, he assisted in the close and distribution of over $100 million in follow-on investment for a diverse portfolio of companies including firms in the biotechnology, aviation, software, cleantech, food and beverage, and natural resource industries.  He spent the summer working in business development for Environmental Operating Solutions, a water treatment technology startup based on Cape Cod, and hopes to gain more experience growing small companies in the energy or water sectors.  Hanns is also a Frankel Commercialization Fund Cleantech Fellow.  He holds a B.A. from the Wayne Calloway School of Business at Wake Forest University.

Jason Angel joins the Erb Institute with a focus on corporate strategy and environmental psychology. This past summer, Jason worked in San Francisco at Genentech: a leading biotechnology organization operating in the Oncology, Immunology, Tissue Growth & Repair, Neuroscience and Infectious Disease spaces. At Genentech, Jason developed a co-promote strategy for a $4-billion-dollar cancer drug to address key gaps in physician access, defend against substitute treatments, & increase Genentech’s share in the metastatic breast cancer market place. His concentration at the School of Natural Resources is in “Behavior, Environment and Communication,” primarily within the field of Environmental Psychology. Here, Jason’s focus is on how external and environmental stimuli may be used to alter, stimulate & preclude individual and consumer behavior. Prior to Michigan, Jason worked as a Combat Photographer & Media Consultant in the United States Marine Corps. He also worked as a Hollywood Club Disc Jockey while attending college. Jason holds a BA in History and a minor in Policy Studies from UCLA. He also holds specialization degrees in Print and Media Journalism as well as Public Affairs from the Department of Defense Information School.

Tina's interests include corporate environmental strategy, with an emphasis on water and carbon management. She interned as a Climate Fellow at Nestle Waters North America/Poland Spring Bottling after her first year at Michigan. Her projects there focused on quantifying the environmental benefits of fuel efficiency projects for the company's truck fleet, and conducting pilot life cycle assessments for products at each of three Maine factories. Prior to attending the University of Michigan, Tina advised Federal agencies on environmental projects for three years as a consultant at Industrial Economics Inc. in Cambridge, MA. There she developed economic analyses of Endangered Species Act proposed rulemakings, and contributed to the EPA's Climate Change Science Program report on potential ecological impacts of sea-level rise on mid-Atlantic coastlines. Tina worked for a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with the Urban Ecology Institute, implementing ecological field studies as a component of the science curriculum in Boston high school classes. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in environmental studies from Oberlin College.

Hunt’s interests include strategy, operations, sustainable community development, life-cycle management and entrepreneurial opportunities for biotechnology and natural products. At the Erb Institute, he is focusing on industrial ecology, systems planning, and the role of corporate environmental strategy in achieving sustainable product development. Prior to his arrival at the University of Michigan, Hunt taught physical and natural sciences in Asheville, NC, emphasizing principles of ecology and environmental stewardship. Hunt has been a Climate Corps Fellow with the Environmental Defense Fund, and worked within the commercial and hospitality divisions at Biltmore Farms to develop energy efficiency strategies. He graduated from Montreat College with a BS in Environmental Studies, and holds a Masters in Entrepreneurship from Western Carolina University.

Mike Buday studies renewable energy technologies and sustainable development opportunities within the business world.   In preparation for his MS thesis, Mike interned this past summer for the PV manufacturer Uni-Solar Ovonic, providing lab-based support in the organization’s R&D department as well as designing and assembling a competitive benchmarking project.  Before coming to the University of Michigan, he designed and installed distributed solar energy systems.  Mike’s varied background includes two years of volunteer service in Peace Corps as an IT advisor and four years as a natural foods store owner/operator following several years in the automotive industry working in sales, management, and dealership accounting.  Mike holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from GMI Engineering and Management Institute.

Greg’s focus in the Erb Program is strategy and finance specifically in renewable energy and cleantech industries. After his first year he interned in the EDF Climate Corps Program at Accenture identifying financial and environmental savings through energy efficiency. At Accenture he completed a feasibility study and developed a business case for strategic implementation of SMART Building Technology at various locations in their real estate portfolio. Also at Michigan Greg is a VP of Sustainability for Ross Net Impact and a board member of the Student Sustainability Initiative. Prior to studying at Michigan he spent 3 years in New York City where he traded currencies for JP Morgan on the G-8 desk as a market maker. He graduated from Bucknell University with a BA in Economics.

Kathryn is an environmental lawyer interested in exploring the role of the law in advancing environmental sustainability, both in legal institutions and in corporate legal departments.  Prior to joining the Erb Institute, Kathryn was a practicing attorney specializing in helping business and municipal clients understand and manage environmental risk by developing proactive strategies for facing environmental challenges and opportunities.   Kathryn previously served as judicial clerk to a federal district judge in Chicago, an associate in a prominent Chicago law firm, and an Adjunct Professor of Environmental Law at Wayne State University School of Law.  Kathryn holds a BS in Organizational Behavior and a JD cum laude from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she served as Administrative Editor of the University of Illinois Law Review.

Luis Calderon is a 2nd year dual degree MBA/MS Erb student with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability. Prior to Michigan, Luis worked for over 9 years with consulting and startup companies. He is currently a team leader for the Wolverine Venture Fund, co-president of the Entrepreneur & Venture Club and an Investor’s Circle Venture Fellow. He is also a founding member of Audiallo, a semiconductor technology startup. During his first year as a student, Luis spearheaded the creation of the Social Venture Fund at the Ross School of Business, the nation’s first socially focused student-run venture fund. Last summer, Luis worked as an analyst for Early Stage Partners, a premier venture capital firm in the Mid-West. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia with a focus in Electrical and Biomedical Engineering.

Charlotte is interested in corporate environmental strategy as well as public-private partnerships for sustainability. At the University of Michigan, Charlotte is working on a Master’s Project to develop a sustainability strategy for a monastery in Virginia. This past summer, Charlotte interned in Environmental Defense Fund’s Corporate Partnerships Program. Her work there involved researching potential corporate partners who have developed environmental innovations and developing strategies to engage these partners to help bring their innovations and best practices into the mainstream. Before graduate school, Charlotte was an Associate with ICF International and provided support related to the phaseout of ozone depleting substances and the economic and technical feasibility, as well as the health impacts, of substitutes for ozone depleting substances for clients such as EPA's Stratospheric Protection Division, European Commission Directorate-General Environment, United Nations Environment Programme, and the World Bank. Charlotte also helped develop and support several voluntary partnerships related to mitigating emissions of ozone depleting substances and greenhouse gases for EPA's Stratospheric Protection Division and Climate Change Division. She received an A.B. in Environmental Studies from Dartmouth College.

Paul is focusing his studies on waste management/up-cycling, strategic water resources management and eco-entrepreneurship. Over the last ten years, Paul has actively worked to explore the world of sustainability from a variety of industries and perspectives. For four years, Paul worked as a City Planner for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), where he planned and implemented public transit and smart growth development projects aimed at curbing urban sprawl and reducing regional carbon emissions. Inspired to explore international efforts geared towards achieving environmental and social sustainability, Paul left SANDAG to work as an environmental educator in Bolivia’s  Parque Carrasco and in Mexico in ecotourism development. Prior to returning to school, Paul worked for a sustainable agricultural operation in Sacramento, California. Paul graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Science and Policy.

Mark is interested in synthesizing innovative and regional renewable energy, transportation, water, building, and land use planning solutions to drive sustainable practices and urban re-development. Prior to enrolling at the University of Michigan, as a consultant at Energetics Incorporated, Mark provided strategic planning, program management, and technical communications support to U.S. Department of Energy and other clients in the areas of energy efficiency and energy reliability. In his free time, Mark enjoys swimming, snowboarding, cycling, rock climbing, and playing guitar. Mark graduated Summa Cum Laude and from the University of Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science and Policy.

Laura is motivated to work in sustainable international development, especially in areas of Latin America where communities live in biodiverse and fragile ecosystems. Specifically, Laura intends to use her expertise in sustainable systems, entrepreneurship, and finance to approach community development in a sustainable way to strengthen local organizations, create social and environmental enterprises, and address issues of health and education. For the last four years, Laura has been working at Danta Corcovado Lodge, an eco-lodge in the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica, where she has been an integral part of its development and management.  She also sits on the board of two local non profits, Women of Osa (WOO) and the Asociación de Emprendedorespara el DesarrolloResponsable (ASEDER), which promote responsible entrepreneurship, community and environmental awareness. Laura graduated from Lake Forest College and earned a BA in Physics and Spanish.

Taka is specializing in renewable energy power generation, policy, and business development. He has over eleven years of experience in the solar cell industry working as a material science engineer, researcher, and market strategist. Since joining the Erb program, Taka has worked with Pratt & Whitney Power Systems, formerly UTC Power, developing a market entry strategy for their PureCycle geothermal power generation unit, served as the Program Director for the 2009 Ross Net Impact Forum Conference, and collaborated with the Ypsilanti based Clean Energy Coalition to develop an actionable solar plan for the Ann Arbor community. Taka holds a B.S. from the University of California, Los Angeles in Chemical Engineering.

Bharath is interested in energy and cleantech systems, energy policy and finance. His interests are in Private Equity, Venture Capital, the structure of energy M&A deals and especially in the technology and policy risk profiles associated with renewable and alternative energy projects.
Before arriving at the University of Michigan, Bharath worked as a structural engineer in Raleigh, North Carolina and led efforts to educate the community on renewable energy options in Chapel Hill, NC and advised the Chapel Hill Town Council on transportation policy.
Bharath has a MS in Computational Mechanics from Duke University and a BE in Structural Engineering from VJTI, Mumbai, India.

Sean’s studies focus on resource use, industrial ecology and business development in emerging markets. This summer, Sean conducted due diligence and negotiated an equity deal in India on behalf of a social venture capital fund. Before enrolling at the University of Michigan, Sean worked for an international economic development firm, where he advised U.S. government project staff in Indonesia, Peru, the Philippines, and Zambia. Prior to working in foreign aid, Sean worked as a journalist in Europe, first for CNN in Berlin and then as editor of a newspaper in Vienna. He holds an M.A. in international relations from the University of Bath, England, and a B.A. in journalism and political science from Miami University, Ohio.

Cynthia’s studies are focused on social entrepreneurship, sustainable enterprise and biodiversity conservation. Her primary interest lies in developing mission-based business models for poverty alleviation in developing countries. Prior to attending the University of Michigan, Cynthia worked for Rare Conservation, where she assisted Mayan farmers, poachers and fishermen in their efforts to launch community- based ecotourism businesses. For her SNRE master’s research, she developed a plan to guide the development of sustainable tourism for the community of Uaxactún, Guatemala. She is also the founder and president of Water Roller International, a nonprofit organization that manufactures and distributes the Hippo Water Roller, an innovative water transport tool (www.hippowater.org). Cynthia holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Trinity College, and an M.S. in Environmental Policy and Behavior from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment.

Mark is interested in renewable and traditional energy systems, as well as energy efficiency as is applies to new and existing buildings.  He also has a strong interest in Cleantech Entrepreneurship and Finance.  Before entering the Erb program Mark worked in construction and real estate development in Washington, DC.  He is a LEED Accredited Professional and has worked on several high profile projects in the Washington Metro Area including ballparks, museums, and government buildings.  This summer Mark worked with a team to launch a startup that provides services to companies in the energy industry.  Mark has a BS in Industrial Engineering from Cornell University.  In his spare time he likes to ski, play squash, compete in triathlons, and play the guitar.

Sam is interested in large-scale renewable energy projects and national energy policy.  Prior to attending Michigan, Sam worked for three years as a legal assistant at Davis Polk & Wardwell in NYC in the Mergers & Acquisitions Division.  At DPW, he helped draft contracts and manage logistics for public and private transactions across various industries.  He also worked for an outsourcing consulting firm in Shanghai called Creative Resources.  Sam received his B.A. from Middlebury College in Vermont; he majored in East Asian Studies with a focus in Chinese language and Political Science.  In his free time he enjoys skiing, golf, tennis, baseball and playing music.

As an Erb student, Alex is focusing on strategy, social entrepreneurship, and sustainable food systems. Alex spent the summer of 2009 working with the Fair Food Network in Ann Arbor on an upcoming book about redesigning the food system. Prior to joining the Erb program, Alex spent four years managing marketing communications at Clivus Multrum, a leading manufacturer of composting toilet systems. At Clivus Multrum, Alex created marketing strategies, developed and administered the customer database, published articles and newsletters, and managed the development of marketing collateral. Alex holds a BS from Skidmore College with a major in Business Management and a minor in Environmental Studies. Outside of school and work, Alex enjoys spending time with his fiancé, friends, and family. Alex also enjoys traveling, hiking, fishing, and playing a variety of sports.

Katherine is interested in corporate sustainability strategies, communications and organizational behavior. She intends to work with companies to help align their business objectives with sustainability goals, as well as promote environmentally sustainable consumer behavior. Her concentration at the School of Natural Resources is in “Behavior, Environment and Communication,” focusing on how individuals and organizations think, what motivates them and how to effectively communicate with them. Prior to Michigan, Katherine was a Communications Analyst at an advertising firm in New York City, and developed campaign strategies for national clients. Katherine holds a BA in Economics with a minor in International Relations from Colgate University.

Trip is interested in clean tech and carbon investing and financing sustainable innovation. This past summer, he spent the summer in Mexico as a market strategy analyst for The Water Initiative, LLC, a VC backed startup company delivering distributed water filtration technology low-income households in developing countries. He comes to Michigan from Central America, most recently El Salvador, where he lived for three years and was the co-founder of Ensenada Partners, a firm dedicated to cross-sector project development and advisory services promoting “green” development based around eco-tourism, renewable energy, carbon, and watershed conservation. Before that, Trip worked for The Nature Conservancy in the Guatemala City office, where he managed business development, fundraising, social enterprise, and conservation finance strategy. He also has prior experience in financial services e-commerce, having worked in a range of business areas as an initial member of Clareon Corporation (now of Bank of America). Trip graduated from Bates College in 2000 with a dual major in Economics and Environmental Science and Policy.

Eva Owens joins the Erb Institute with an aspiration to work in general management and corporate strategy in the area of emissions mitigation and energy. She's also interested in the role public policy can play in stimulating growth in sustainable energy solutions. Eva has spent the last seven years working in the non-profit sector primarily in policy development, fundraising, and legislative advocacy at the state and local level as the Executive Director of the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition and, more recently, as the Director of Development for the Austin Humane Society. She graduated from Oberlin College with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and a minor in African American Studies. In her free time, she enjoys playing sports and keeping up with national politics.

Laura’s inspiration to combine two seemingly unrelated fields of study came when she was working at the Detroit Zoo and leading the effort to reduce the environmental impact of day-to-day operations.  She realized that she had to make an economic case as well as an environmental case to support her proposals.  Her goal is to learn the art of business administration and integrate it with her working knowledge of ecology to form a holistic understanding of environmental problem-solving and the ability to work effectively with conservation partners in the business world as well as in the scientific world.  By also focusing on environmental policy in her academic studies, Laura hopes to have an opportunity to apply her skills to the process of creating and implementing environmental programs that require public and private sector cooperation.

Arthur’s focus is in corporate sustainability, closed-loop systems, and creative solutions. This summer he interned at Ceres, where he collaborated with the corporate programs team on a forthcoming corporate sustainability vision paper. While in school he is also working on various projects such as reducing carbon in a major automotive company’s supply chain and green jobs training in Detroit.

Prior to joining the Erb program, Arthur started an agriculture education program in Tanzania, worked with the city of Cambridge on its climate change plan, and was a research analyst at KLD, a socially responsible investing research firm. Arthur graduated from Dartmouth College where he focused on environmental studies and public policy.

Alanya received a B.A. from Yale University and worked in green building and sustainable development prior to enrolling at the University of Michigan. Alanya is focusing on renewable energy, finance, and corporate strategy. As part of the business school curriculum, Alanya undertook a 7-week business development project for Energy Conversion Devices/UNI-SOLAR identifying new potential product applications and developing business case analyses for the most promising applications. For her 2009 summer internship with SRG Global, an automotive trim supplier, Alanya identified renewable energy products that are a strategic fit for the company’s engineering and manufacturing capabilities. Additionally, Alanya is currently working part-time for Vortex Hydro Energy, a hydro-kinetic generator startup, doing market entry and business development strategy. In her free time, Alanya enjoys road biking, reading, and baking.

Sarah is focusing her studies on corporate environmental sustainability, with a particular focus on climate change adaptation. Prior to attending Michigan, she worked for ICF International in Washington, DC, in their Climate Change Services group. At ICF, Sarah provided support to EPA and other private and public sector clients on climate change adaptation, and greenhouse gas accounting and mitigation. She received her Bachelor of Science in Earth and Atmospheric Studies from Cornell University's Engineering School. This past summer, Sarah worked at Cisco Systems as a Climate Corps Fellow focusing on energy efficiency opportunities in large data labs.

Rebecca's academic and professional focus is on sustainable product development and design.  Before entering the Erb Institute, Rebecca was a practicing product and graphic designer in New York City, and also an editor and columnist for Treehugger.com and PlanetGreen.com.  Rebecca is best known for her work in advancing the growing eco-design industry, as the Founder and Chair of the design organization, o2nyc and Executive Producer of the internationally acclaimed eco-design exhibition, HauteGREEN.  Most recently Rebecca interned for the Environmental Defense Fund's Wal-Mart Corporate Partnership team, identifying environmentally preferable production practices for several of Wal-Mart's private brands products.  Rebecca’s work has been featured in publications and journals such as BusinessWeek, Forbes, The London Observer (Guardian UK), The New York Times, Good Magazine and Metropolis Magazine. Rebecca earned her BFA in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2003.  

Nathan brings expertise in strategic planning and organizational analysis that builds successful enterprises. He developed a framework and strategy to support economic development and benchmarked organizational structure as a summer intern for the Oregon Built Environment and Sustainable Technology Center (BEST). As a Community Relations Associate, he managed Latino community relations for transportation projects in Los Angeles with Lee Andrews Group, Inc. Previously, Nathan co-founded non-profit organization Amigos de los Rios and performed strategic planning, targeted fundraising, and program management to develop its $500k cash flow. His articles on participatory planning and Latino environmentalism appear in "Planning Magazine" and "Earth Island Journal" and he has given conference presentations on urban sustainability and multi-cultural stakeholder engagement. He also trained residents in project planning and management to address community needs as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Paraguay. He is a Senior Fellow with the Environmental Leadership Program and holds a Bachelors degree in environmental science from Willamette University in Salem, OR.

Tina is interested in social entrepreneurial models that focus on environmentally sustainable international development. Prior to returning to school Tina was a Content Publishing Manager at Microsoft, where she also co-founded an internal group to promote environmental awareness and influence company policies. Since joining the Erb program, Tina has interned at two social entrepreneurial organizations. In Ashoka, she managed a collaborative platform and performed industry analysis for a social fund to bring low-cost solar to the developing world. At the Institute at the Golden Gate, an incubator for social impact innovations, she conducted market analysis and financial modeling to deliver the organization’s first publishable business plan. Tina holds a B.S. in Cognitive Science with a Computing Specialization from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Jeremy Taub comes to Erb with interests in sustainable urban real estate development, marketing and organizational strategy, especially as it relates to the senior housing market. Jeremy worked for UJA-Federation of New York where he worked with a grants portfolio of over 100 New York area non-profits including summer camps, community centers and small grass roots organizations. He assessed the impact of this portfolio while providing strategic consulting services to non-profit executives and boards.  Jeremy also coordinated an effort to bring sustainable practices to this wide range of agencies. Previously, Jeremy worked as the sole program officer at an independent foundation where he funded a number of education, arts and senior service organizations in both New York City and in Israel.  Jeremy began his career with Americorps as a City Year Boston Corps Member. He received a BA in history with honors in 2001 from the University of Chicago.