Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila

Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies

Shersingh Joseph Tumber-Dávila (he/él) is a terrestrial ecosystems ecologist studying the response of ecosystems to global environmental change. Joseph joined the faculty at Dartmouth College as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies in Fall 2024 as an E.E. Just Faculty Fellow. Joseph is also affiliated with the Graduate Program in Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems and Society (EEES). Prior to joining Dartmouth, Joseph was the LTER Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Forest, Harvard University, and he received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Environmental Earth System Science at Stanford University as well as his B.S. in Environmental Conservation and Sustainability from the University of New Hampshire.

Joseph’s research program as an ecologist investigates global environmental change effects on terrestrial ecosystems, plant functional traits, and subsequent consequences for global carbon cycling and policy. As a terrestrial ecosystem ecologist, Joseph’s unique, interdisciplinary, approach spans regional and global scale experiments, syntheses, and modeling. Beyond his research, Joseph is passionate about teaching, mentoring, science communication, and outreach, driven by his desire to build community and support the next generation of ecologists. Joseph is actively collaborating to make the field of ecology inclusive through revisiting our use of language and through introspective investigations into what it means to be an ecologist and a scientist.

Yuting “Yvonne” Chi

Deputy Secretary of Environmental Justice and Equity, California Environmental Protection Agency

Yuting “Yvonne” Chi, of Oakland, has been appointed Deputy Secretary of Environmental Justice and Equity at the California Environmental Protection Agency. Chi has been a Deputy Attorney General in the Bureau of Environmental Justice at the California Department of Justice since 2019. She was an Attorney at Earthjustice from 2016 to 2019. Chi served as a Law Clerk for Justice Daniel E. Winfree at the Alaska Supreme Court from 2015 to 2016. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Evolutionary Biology and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Berkeley School of Law.

Enrique M. Rodriguez

Associate Construction Analyst, California Building Standards Commission

Enrique Rodriguez joined the California Building Standards Commission (CBSC) in February of 2009. His duties at the CBSC are to assist with the adoption, approval, codification, and publication of the California Building Standards Code, Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations including the development of the California Green Building Standards Code (CALGreen).

Enrique has served on various building commissioning committees; most notably as Vice- Chair of the International Code Council (ICC) G4 Development Committee, which created the ICC G4-2012 Guideline for Commissioning. He recently served on the International Accreditation Service, Inc. committees for Accreditation of Commissioning Agencies Task Group and the Technical Advisory Council-Sustainability Steering Committee as Vice-Chair.

Prior to working at the CBSC Enrique worked for the California Department of General Services’ architectural department for 11 years. During that time, he designed a variety of state buildings that ranged from a Boating Instruction and Safety Center to Cal Fire campuses. He also acted as a project designer, design team leader, and project manager for various state facilities.

Enrique has extensive architectural design experience and holds a Bachelor’s of Architecture degree from California Polytechnic State University (CAL POLY), San Luis Obispo. He worked in private architectural firms for several years prior to joining the state. He lives in El Dorado County with his lovely wife and six wonderful children.

Zoe Bravo

Waste Zero Specialist, Recology San Mateo County

Zoe Bravo has been a Waste Zero Specialist with Recology San Mateo County since December 2023. Zoe graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Earth and Ocean Sciences. She has taken an unusual path to get to where she is today, but her deep love of nature and passion for the environment has driven her to great places!

Safia Haidari

Capacity Building Program Manager, The Greenling Institute

Safia Haidari (she/her/hers) is the Capacity Building Program Manager for the San
Diego region to support community stakeholders in advancing equitable climate solutions. As a first-generation Afghan-American, Safia is passionate about uplifting marginalized voices in decision-making. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Social Science, she worked with various community-based organizations in San Diego that focused on immigrant rights, transportation justice, and police accountability. Hearing these stories of resiliency sparked her passion for community driven social change. Prior to Greenlining, Safia served as the Director of Policy Advocacy and Organizing at Youth Will, where she worked to improve systems and uplift the experiences of marginalized youth. During her time with Youth Will, she oversaw/implemented several campaigns including the creation of a green jobs corps program to support low-income youth, the inclusion of free menstrual product dispensers in public facing City and County facilities, and the creation of an Office of Child and Youth Success within the City of San Diego. In her free time, she loves going to the beach, exploring new coffee shops, reading memoirs, and spending time with friends and family.

Elizabeth Didato

Wildlife Educator for Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA 

Elizabeth Didato grew up in a large family in Chicago. Summer camp was a wondrous escape, fueling her curiosity and connection to nature. Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental studies, with a focus on ecology. As a student, she worked with both domestic and wild animals. Later, she gained extensive experience working with wildlife for 15+ years, including roles in zoos and wildlife rehabilitation. Additionally, she spent many years as a classroom teacher, teaching middle and high school science.

Currently, she serves as the Wildlife Educator for the Peninsula Humane Society & SPCA (PHS/SPCA) where she provides educational programs for local schools and community groups. In her presentations, Elizabeth talks to young people about native local wildlife, the importance of conservation, our rehabilitation efforts at PHS/SPCA, and ways families can help care for local wildlife. Elizabeth is passionate about sharing her love for wildlife and the natural world!

Taylor Lahey

Taylor Lahey Studio

Taylor is an artist, children’s book author, and designer with a background in graphic design, branding, and animation. He is a proud Bay Area, CA native living in Santa Cruz, CA. His favorite clients are individuals and organizations who have a vision for how they want to impact the world. When he’s not working, he finds ways to participate and grow his local community by sharing his creative gifts.

Eri Sawairi Ocampo

Bilingual Conservation Educator 

I am a Bilingual Conservation Educator for the STRAW (Students and Teachers Restoring a Watershed) program. In my work you will see me visiting schools and sharing how we can help restore wetlands and riparian habitats. My formal education is in foreign language teaching of Japanese and Spanish. I love exploring nature outdoors and learning about the beings that surround us, even microscopic ones. I was born in Japan and grew up in the fields of the central valley of Chile. I have had the privilege of visiting the arid Atacama Desert and exploring fjords in Patagonia. My home is now in western Sonoma County. In my free time I dedicate myself to reading books, visiting places with maps, and studying nature.

Jasmine Buerano

Senior Storytelling Coordinator, Sustainable Coastlines Hawaii

Jasmine Buerano, known to many as Jazzy, is an internationally grown storyteller. She grew up for most of her life in Hawai’i, splitting her time between Nu’uanu, O’ahu, and Waimea on Hawai’i Island, and lived in other places like Guam, Brunei Darussalam, and the Philippines. She began her journey with non-profit work at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in California through a student-run Surfrider Club Chapter where she served as the Director of Media. After graduating with a BA in Communication Studies and a concentration in Environmental Studies in 2021, Jazzy moved home to Hawai’i, working in Hilo as a photographer and social media manager for a global lab that seeks to create innovative solutions for communities who need them most. Now, as a Senior Storytelling Coordinator at SCH, she manages SCH social media platforms and is a community outreach specialist. When she isn’t taking photos or writing, Jazzy enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and friends, singing, and cooking for others.

Uriel Hernandez (he/him)

ISA-certified arborist

Uriel Hernandez is a community advocate and environmental leader raised in East Palo Alto. With a background in architecture and urban forestry, Uriel has spent his career fostering green spaces in underrepresented communities. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Middlebury College in Architecture and a Master of Natural Resources from Oregon State University. Uriel is an ISA-certified arborist with experience spanning diverse roles, including his work with Canopy, the San Francisco Parks Alliance, HortScience|Bartlett Consulting, and the City of Palo Alto. He also serves on the City of East Palo Alto Planning Commission and has previously held the roles of Vice Chair and Chair.

Uriel’s commitment to environmental justice is reflected in his role on the Board of Directors for Nuestra Casa and Canopy, where he advocates for equitable access to green spaces and works to integrate intersectional approaches to urban planning and environmental sustainability. At the San Mateo County Climate Summit, Uriel shared insights on cultivating intersectional approaches to environmental justice, emphasizing community-driven solutions and sustainable urban development.

Tanner Mar

CAL FIRE Regional Urban Forester

Tanner Mar is the CAL FIRE Regional Urban Forester for the Bay Area and North Coast Region. Tanner seeks to be a bridgebuilder- connecting urban forest stakeholders with public and cross-sector resources. Tanner has worked in a variety of settings including for a non-profit, private industry, and as a small business owner. Throughout these experiences, Tanner has always had a passion to connect people with the natural resources that support and sustain them. In his spare time, he enjoys all forms of outdoor recreation and eating dim sum.

Mirella Piceno

Yosemite National Park Ranger

Mirella Piceno is a ranger working in the Yosemite Education and Community Engagement Office. Growing up in Los Angeles, CA, Mirella finally left Southern California when she went to the University of California, Merced to earn her Bachelor’s in Earth Systems Science. She has spent the last 9 years working in Yosemite National Park within a variety of positions focused on connecting the general public and youth to their public lands. Before becoming a full-time year-round Yosemite ranger, Mirella worked with the Udall Foundation’s Parks in Focus program that took middle schoolers from the Bay Area camping for the first time in Yosemite while teaching them photography.

Her current role in the Yosemite Education and Community Engagement Office allows her to create learning opportunities for students both virtually and in person on field trips. For older students, her office hosts professional development opportunities for undergraduate students who want a career in the National Park Service. Her passion is connecting youth from underrepresented communities to the outdoors by creating a safe and welcoming environment.