Paths to Power: Careers in Climate Policy & Public Service

What can a job in climate justice look like? How do I find a meaningful career in climate? What steps can I take during my time at Stanford to get there?

Join the Haas Center for Public Service for Paths to Power: Careers in Climate Policy and Public Service, a Stanford Climate Week panel discussion with recent alumni in climate justice careers, each of whom have participated in programs of the Haas Center. Participants will leave equipped with knowledge of the Haas Center's climate-oriented internships & fellowships, leadership development offerings, and career support resources -- and with an idea of tangible next steps to prepare you for your own career in climate public service. A light lunch will be served for RSVPed attendees.

Featuring:

Edward Apraku, PhD '26

Schneider Fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

Edward Apraku, PhD is a Schneider Fellow at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), where he explores PFAS in the energy sector. He recently earned his PhD in Environmental and Chemical Engineering from Stanford University, where his dissertation focused on removing nutrient pollutants from wastewater while recovering valuable chemicals using polymeric materials, electrochemical, and computational techniques. Alongside his technical work, Edward has long been drawn to the policy and regulatory side of environmental issues, especially those affecting communities of color. As a Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay Area Fellow, he worked with Belle Haven Action, a grassroots organization in Menlo Park, to identify local environmental injustices and research strategies for equitable remediation. He was also a Graduate Public Service Fellow and the first graduate student to serve on the Haas Center's National Advisory Board.

Born in Kumasi, Ghana, and raised outside Phoenix, Edward holds a B.S.E. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Arizona State University, where he was a NASA Space Grant Scholar and an NSF Graduate Research Fellow. In his free time, Edward enjoys playing a ridiculous amount of volleyball, consuming and subsequently reviewing media on Letterboxd and Goodreads, attending concerts, and exploring San Francisco's libraries and parks.

Valeria Vega Yanez ‘24

Environmental Justice Program Coordinator at El Concilio of San Mateo County

Valeria is a proud immigrant from Sonora, Mexico and her family now lives in Tucson, Arizona. She graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor’s degree in Earth Systems in 2024. While at Stanford, Valeria worked with Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto as an Environmental Justice fellow. Through her work in East Palo Alto, Valeria grew passionate about environmental justice in the Bay area, an area of great wealth but also with great social disparities. Valeria also completed the Notation in Science Communication program while at Stanford and is always looking for ways to make science communication and education more accessible to frontline communities. Through her role as a consultant for organizations like Nuestra Casa de East Palo Alto and El Concilio of San Mateo County, Valeria prioritizes working on projects that focus on addressing local impacts of climate change, building critical consciousness in communities resulting in increasing community capacity, and working collaboratively with the Latine community across San Mateo County.

Valeria conducts her consulting through her consulting firm, EnviroJust LLC.

Linda Vera ‘25

Environmental and Sustainability Associate at Rise South City

Linda Vera is an AmeriCorps VISTA member serving as an Environmental and Sustainability Associate at Rise South City. She graduated from Stanford University with a B.A. In International Relations. Previously, she worked with Rise South City as a Partnerships for Climate Justice Fellow and now supports climate resilience initiatives, environmental stewardship programs, and community engagement efforts in South San Francisco.

The panel will be moderated by Kaden Nguyen ‘27, a Graduate Peer Advisor at the Haas Center for Public Service.