ERIKA MARCHANT
I’m Erika Marchant and I’m from Lake Forest, Illinois! I am a member of DePauw’s class of 2022, as well as participant in DePauw’s Environmental Fellows Program and Honor Scholar Program. I intend to major in Chinese and Environmental Geoscience. Within Precious Plastic DePauw, I am a member of the Policy Group. While I have little exposure to the political and legal elements of environmentalism, I feel drawn to the mission of environmental policy/justice in its mission to better the planet at the structural level. Motivated by the pursuit of a future in environmental law, my hope for my role in Precious Plastic DePauw is that I can help provide my group members with a coherent framework under which they might better understand how policy influences systems and the individual, as well as how the individual might impact policy!
EMMA PIZANA
Hello, I am Emma Pizana and I’m from Brookfield, Illinois. I am a first-year environmental fellow at DePauw University. As of now, I am planning on double majoring in studio art and either sociology/political science. I am working with Erika on the policy aspect of the Precious Plastics project. I was drawn to this because I want to be able to make effective change in the communities we live in, and a way to do so is by critiquing and solving policy issues.
ISAIAH SPEARS
Hello! My name is Isaiah Spears and I am from Chicago, Illinois. Representing the class of 2022 at DePauw University with the intent of being a Communications major with a Photography or Environmental Science minor, I joined the Environmental Fellows Program to learn what can be done to help communities experiencing environmental injustices. With Precious Plastic DePauw, I am on the social media group because I enjoy working behind the scenes of groups and organizations and find it useful being the informer of a cause, spreading the word and appealing to the online community.
KELBY STALLINGS
Hi my name is Kelby Stallings, and I am one of the Environmental Fellows in the 2022 class from Muncie, IN. I am an Environmental Geoscience major and an Honor Scholar. I decided to help with the media group because it allows me to develop fundamental design skills that I will hopefully be able to use in my career aspiration of a landscape architect. By helping to manage the website and social media sites while also ensuring complete documentation of the Precious Plastic DePauw project, I am learning how to keep the community engaged and informed on the project while using the feedback to ensure a more successful project.
ALYSSA LUARDE
Hello! I’m an Environmental Fellow in the DePauw class of 2022. I’m a Studio Art and Spanish double major from Fort Wayne, Indiana. I am a part of the media group in this project and was drawn to it because I am passionate about helping to conserve and advocate for our beautiful planet Earth. I am hoping that being a part of this group will help me to develop the skills that I will need for a future career in environmental activism. I have a particular interest in ocean conservation but I am totally happy to help out whenever and wherever possible! I’m glad that this community project can benefit us all now at DePauw and help me prepare for a future career!
SOPHIA FEATHERSTONE
Hi! My name is Sophia Featherstone and I was born in Evanston, Illinois, but I grew up in the UK! I am part of the class of 2022 at DePauw University, where I am hoping to be an interdisciplinary Environmental Studies major, combining environmental geoscience, anthropology, and philosophy. I’m also an Environmental Fellow and an Honor Scholar! As part of the media team for Precious Plastic DePauw, I help run the website, advertise, take photos, and much more! I am hoping to go into environmental documentary film after college, so being on the media team combines my passion for film with my interest in the environment, and I get the opportunity to learn more about visual storytelling, while also striving engage, learn, and help educate as many people as possible about plastic pollution and the benefits of plastic recycling.
SARAH BIRD
Hi, my name is Sarah Bird and I am from Fishers, Indiana.  At DePauw, I am a part of the class of 2022 and I am an Environmental Fellow, Honor Scholar, and member of the Women’s Soccer Team.  Right now, I intend to major in environmental biology or something environmentally related with minors in Spanish and economics. I am a part of the health and safety group for this Precious Plastics project because the chemical details surrounding the environment fascinate me.  I am excited to learn more about how plastics are categorized depending on their molecular makeup and having the opportunity to share that information with my peers!
ABEL BATES
My name is Abel Bates and I come from Cloverdale, Indiana. I’m in the class of 2022 here at DePauw and plan on majoring in Kinesiology. I am part of the Health and safety team for  Precious Plastic DePauw, because machine safety and chemical reactions interest me. I have always been a big recycler, and I’m excited to learn more about the process and teach others what I learn. It is a great opportunity to be able to learn to recycle on our own while being able to create things in doing so.
ABBY COOK
My name is Abby Cook and I am an avid environmentalist who loves atmospheric chemistry and learning how the world works. Ironically, I did not grow up recycling in my household, but am now fascinated with the production process and learning how to do it most effectively. (This means cleaning containers and removing caps, yo!) I know our work will better the current state of recycling on DePauw’s campus, given that our group aims to focus on the health and environmental implications of the process. We are striving to recycle plastics safely as well as efficiently, and to create worthy products in the end. I cannot wait to see what this entails!
SAMANTHA EASTRIDGE
Hi, I’m Samantha Eastridge and I’m from Avon, IN. I am a freshman Environmental Fellow at DePauw University and my intended major is Environmental Biology. The project group I’m a part of the TZ Elementary School group. We have the opportunity to go into one of the local elementary during Earth Week and teach the different 4th grade classes about plastic waste and pollution. I was drawn to this group because I enjoy community engagement and motivating others to recycle and positively impact the environment, especially the week of Earth Day!
SHELBY BREWER
Hello my name is Shelby Brewer and I’m a first year environmental fellow at DePauw university. Class Of 2022, I was born and raised in Fishers, Indiana. I’m an intended studio art and environmental geoscience double major. I’m also a proud member of the TZ/Education team for this project. I picked the education group, because I felt it provided me with the most opportunities for community engagement. I have always loved to help people, and share my passions. This project has given me the perfect outlet to express my love for the environment, interact with my community and make a lasting impact on the plastic pollution crisis going on around me. Precious Plastics DePauw is a unique opportunity, that I believe will do wonders to tackle, educate, and change the way plastic harms our local environment and I couldn’t be more honored to be apart of it.
VINNIE ZHAN
Hi! I'm Vinnie Zhan from Zhejiang, China. I'm a Environmental fellow from class of the 2022 and my intended major is Environmental biology. I'm working with Emily Kaiser and Lannea Allen on learning the current recycling system. I have been curious about the recycling system since high school and I have researched the trash management system in my hometown. I believe the plastic recycling system in DePauw could be improved and our project could help find out what part of the current system is not effective and if there is a gap that our program can fit.
EMILY KAISER
Hi, I’m Emily Kaiser and I’m from St. Louis, Missouri. In the class of 2022 at DePauw University, I intend to major in Environmental Geoscience and minor in Business. I’m one of the leaders representing the recycling group along with Vinnie Zhan and Lannea Allen. I was drawn to this aspect of the project because it’s such a crucial foundation of environmentalism that I think people need to be more informed about, especially when taking on our very own Precious Plastic here at DePauw. Learning more about what materials (specifically plastics) can be recycled will be a large stepping stone in this journey and I’m very glad I get to be apart of that.
LANNEA ALLEN
Hi, my name is Lannea Allen and I’m from Lake Quivira, Kansas. I currently hope to major in Environmental Geoscience or Environmental Science with possible minors in art and Spanish. I am part of the class of 2022 here at DePauw University working along with Emily Kaiser and Vinnie Zhan in the Recycling group of my Rethinking the Environment class. I have always felt strongly about recycling and have always encouraged recycling in my community. In order to genuinely make a difference we must become knowledgeable on plastics in order to educate others about recycling. I hope to provide people with the information necessary in order to make recycling more efficient here at DePauw and wherever students may go in the future.
