COP22 | Climate Hub

COP22 - Marrakech, Morocco - November 2016

Student Delegates

Mae Bowen 16C

COP21 & COP22 Alumna

Alumni reflection: There is only so much you can learn about environmental policy from a classroom or textbook. Some choose to augment their learning by going out in the field, or researching in the lab. But I wanted to see how environmental policies were made up close. An avid Model UN competitor and environmental science major, the opportunity to work with Emory faculty to teach a course on the climate change negotiations and participate in our first ever observer delegation was a dream come true.

Negotiations for environmental treaties are complex and fascinating, and my appreciation for this particular policymaking process changed dramatically after observing COP21. The experience of meeting government negotiators and watching them collaborate to craft the Paris Agreement changed my entire academic and professional trajectory. I’ve known since I was young that I wanted to become a public servant and protect the environment, but this invaluable experience convinced me to choose to do so as a lawyer, and maybe also as a diplomat.

Since leaving Emory I have had the opportunity to come full circle on my COP21 experience. I have worked with the United Nations International Law Commission to craft guidelines for States on protection of the atmosphere. And I interned during law school at the U.S. Department of State Office of the Legal Adviser, where I worked with our government’s negotiators to prepare for COP25. None of this would have been possible, nor even on my radar, if not for the opportunity to join Emory’s first delegation to the COP. In 2020, I graduated from the New York University School of Law.

After participating in COP 21 and founding the Emory Climate Organization with my fellow student delegates back in 2016, a few of us decided that the fun and advocacy didn’t have to end when when we graduated, so we founded the Emory Alumni Environmental Network. Join us to build community and professional skills as you enter the environment and sustainability industry!

Tyler Stern 16C

AmpliFIRE Co-Producer and COP22 Alumnus

Tyler first got involved with Emory’s Climate Delegation in 2015 when he spearheaded the creation and management of the delegation’s website and social media channels. The next year, he attended COP22 in Marrakech, Morocco and created videos of the conference to be used in a delegation fundraiser. He graduated from Emory University in 2016 with a B.S. in Applied Physics and from Carnegie-Mellon University in 2018 with a Master’s in Human-Computer Interaction.

Currently, Tyler serves as a UX Designer for a technology consultancy called Robots & Pencils and makes far too many Lord of the Rings references to be considered cool.

Eri Saikawa, PhD

Director of Emory Climate Hub & Faculty Advisor

Eri Saikawa, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences at Emory University and the Director of Emory Climate Hub. Professor Saikawa's research is diverse covering areas of atmospheric chemistry, environmental health, biogeochemistry, climate science, environmental policy/politics. In addition to her work with Emory Climate Hub, she also serves as a Co-Director of the Resilience and Sustainability Collaboratory.