Student Ambassadors

Marin Brant, class of 2025, is from Fresno, California, majoring in international relations with a concentration in environment, energy, and natural resources. Her minor is in environmental justice. She is interested in environmental policy and is passionate about finding ways to harmonize the relationship of human well-being and prosperity with the natural world. This past summer, Marin conducted research with the Bill Lane Center on sustainable groundwater management and incentives for agricultural land repurposing in California’s Central Valley and along the Central Coast. She also participated in the Lane Center’s “Coastal Resilience” Sophomore College, witnessing the coordination of science, technology, and policy needed to find solutions to the growing threats of climate change. In her free time, you can find Marin hiking, dancing, or in search of good food!

Camden Burk, class of 2025, is studying earth systems in the energy, science and technology track and a minor in public policy. His primary academic focus is within the energy transition, and the deployment of clean energy technologies to help combat climate change. He is especially interested in the intersection of clean energy development with other land use considerations such as sustainable agriculture, or conservation goals. Camden has conducted research with the Bill Lane Center on the growth of electric vehicles in Bay Area municipalities, and is currently working on a project studying university climate action plans. Outside of academics, he can most often be found playing trumpet, playing unnecessarily complex board games, or dueling with lightsabers in the Main Quad. 

Kate Esbenshade, class of 2025,  is from Massachusetts majoring in earth systems with a focus on human environmental systems. She has a strong interest in environmental policy, particularly in energy (after going on the Bill Lane Center’s Sophomore College program on Energy Policy and Technology!). She has also done research in the intersection of behavioral science and policy and on carbon dioxide removal. Outside of school, you can find Kate spending time in the outdoors, playing ultimate frisbee, and tap dancing!

Solomon Kim, class of 2024, is from Glendale, CA interested in applying engineering and policy solutions to the energy space. Solomon is interested in understanding how to streamline government programs aimed at subsidizing energy bills for low-income Americans. He is also interested in expanding energy efficiency programs for Americans. Solomon likes to play sports, especially basketball and is a huge Los Angeles Lakers fan.

Luke McFaul, class of 2025, is from California and studying earth systems with a focus on human environmental systems. Luke is interested in energy policy. In particular, he is passionate about policies that decarbonize the grid at a low cost to consumers. Currently, Luke is working on a project to degasify and decarbonize Stanford’s laundry systems and heating. He also helps the class “Understand Energy” develop a web portal. Outside of class, you can find him playing basketball, listening to music, or playing board games.

Isaac Nehring, class of 2026, is from Helena, Montana, majoring in American Studies with a concentration in "Rural Life and Natural Resources in the American West." Having grown up in the American West, Isaac is particularly interested in the people and cultures of the region and how they interact with natural resources and the landscape, especially in an agricultural context. Isaac has been involved with the Lane Center primarily through Sophomore College and the American West course. He also co-leads “Rural Club” on campus, works at the campus farm, and loves to be outdoors or playing twangy tunes on the guitar in his free time.

Adria Nyarko, class of 2024, (she/her) is from Southeast Michigan and is majoring in civil engineering with a focus in environmental quality engineering.  Her minor is African and African American Studies. Professionally, Adria is interested in water policy and equity, wastewater infrastructure and hydrology, and the intersection of environmental issues, race, and class. While working for the Bill Lane Center, she worked on water rights and governance in counties on the Central Coast. Outside of class, Adria is an executive board member of the Black Gender Marginalized Collective. You can also find her watching movies, listening to music, and crocheting in her free time.

Vale Rasmussen, class of 2026, is from Los Angeles, California majoring in aeronautical and astronautical engineering and minoring in history. His primary interests include commercial aircraft design, low-carbon-emission transportation, and the impact of new technologies on society and the environment. Last summer, he loved participating in the Bill Lane Center’s Sophomore College program, “River and Region: The Columbia River and the Shaping of the Pacific Northwest,” where he learned countless perspectives on energy production in the Pacific Northwest, the significance of Columbia River salmon, and the history of the region. In his future career, Vale will focus on developing solutions to help decarbonize aviation. Vale is also a private pilot and a lifelong aviation enthusiast. He enjoys sharing his passion with others as a course development assistant (CDA+), a member of the Stanford Flight Club, and a volunteer at the LAX Flight Path Museum & Learning Center. In his spare time, he also enjoys baking, skiing, traveling, playing violin, and playing video games.

Dillan Saltsman, class of 2027, is from Ripon, CA and currently studying environmental systems engineering on the freshwater track. He is passionate about water issues related to drought and floodplain management across the West. Dillan is also heavily involved with public service and advocacy on campus with the Haas Center. During the summer of 2024, he embarked on a Shultz Energy Fellowship, a partnership of Stanford’s Precourt Institute for Energy, Bill Lane Center for the American West, Haas Center for Public Service, and Stanford in Government. As a Shultz Fellow, Dillan worked  for the California Department Of Water Resources (DWR) analyzing trends of negative pricing in CAISO energy markets. He also participated in the "Coastal Resilience" Sophomore College, hosted by the Bill Lane Center, where he explored drinking water access and the challenges of sea level rise to communities along the coast from Seattle to San Diego. In his free time Dillan can be found studying in Y2E2, capturing photos on a hike, and listening to music!

Sze En Tan is a coterm student in management science and engineering. Sze En was born and raised in Singapore but completed her last two years of high school in a suburb of Chicago. Sze En has a strong interest in the global energy transition and really enjoys the multidisciplinary nature of climate policy. This past summer, she conducted research with the Bill Lane Center on water governance in the Central Coast. Outside of class, you can find her laying on Meyer Green and drinking an iced vanilla latte!

Serena Turner, class of 2025, is studying symbolic systems on the neuroscience track and minoring in earth systems, sustainability. She is interested in understanding human decision making in order to create further advancements in the environmental realm. In an effort to create cultural change, she intends to pursue a career in environmental communication. Through the Bill Lane Center, she interned at Deschutes Land Trust in the summer of 2023, where she interacted with the local community through a visioning project and led various events. In her free time, Serena enjoys hiking, adventuring, and meeting new people. 

Jas Wheeler, class of 2025, is majoring in American Studies, with a focus in the relationship between historical politics and popular culture. Her minor is in film and media studies. Professionally, Jas has enjoyed applying her interest in and knowledge about American history and culture as a museum intern at Yellowstone National Park, and as a research intern at the King Papers Project. Outside of school, Jas adores exploring national parks, writing historical fiction screenplays, and daydreaming about meeting Nat Love (look him up if you don't know him!). Jas hopes to apply her interest in history to a future career in academia, archival studies, or museum studies.