Where is home for you?
I was born in Pittsburgh, PA but grew up and spent most of my years before college just outside Philadelphia with my mother, father, and identical twin sister. I had never been to North Carolina before attending Duke; however, the school and surrounding environment were so immediately welcoming that I rapidly grew to consider them as home.
Where are you on your higher education path?
Why did you choose to work in the environmental field?
Ever since I began learning about issues concerning the environment and energy development in one of my high school science classes, I have been consistently drawn to explore them further. This is largely due to their immense scope: all parts of society, whether they choose to acknowledge it or not, are and will inevitably be affected by the state of our environment. Therefore, the opportunities to have meaningful impacts on surrounding communities while working in the environment field are equally expansive and exciting.
Finally, as someone who naturally enjoys interdisciplinary work, the environmental field is particularly attractive because it requires unique collaborations between almost every discipline including policy, science, statistics, sociology, etc.
What are some of your fondest memories of being out in North Carolina’s natural wonders?
I grew up as one of those kids who always seemed to have some dirt somewhere on my clothes or general person from how much time I spent outdoors. Though now as a college student opportunities for outside exploration a lot fewer and farther between, when I do have the time, some of my favorite ways to decompress are through exploring the expansive forests Duke’s campus or taking trips to a nearby lakes for the day.
What are your internship responsibilities this summer with the NC League of Conservation Voters (NCLCV)?
My work with NCLCV this summer is centered on environmental enforcement and policy analysis with a specific focus on shale gas development and permitting in North Carolina. I am currently researching existing enforcement infrastructure in other states to help make recommendations for and monitor NC’s permitting policy development. Additionally, I will be helping to raise public awareness through news articles and educational and outreach materials.
How do you see this opportunity as a Stanback intern affecting your future education and work?
I see this as a great opportunity to deepen my knowledge on and gain firsthand experience in seeing how the lobbying and legislative process works. Additionally, because a lot of what I will be doing is developing recommendations for permitting and other shale gas policies, I will able to gain practice in conducting independent policy analysis and recommendations.
Interested in learning more about Sara’s work on fracking permits or ask her to run your next statistical report?Send her an email at sara@nclcv.org.
