Nicholas Weller is a second-year PhD student in the ASU School of Sustainability. He’s interested in cultural views on science in decision making, participatory governance, and how decisions about urban infrastructure are made. He graduated with a B.S. in Sustainability from ASU in 2013 with a certificate in public administration. During his undergraduate studies, he worked with ASU’s Wetland Ecosystem Ecology Lab studying urban storm water infrastructure and wetlands. At the Tres Rios constructed wetland system, a large wetland in west Phoenix used for wastewater treatment, he studied the relationships between the plant community and water treatment along with mentoring other undergraduates and high school students in field ecology methods. From 2010-2013 Nich worked extensively with Devils’ Advocates, a volunteer organization dedicated to provided new students with ASU campus tours, to train new tour guides. After his undergraduate studies, he spent a year in Zhejiang, China teaching middle and elementary school English classes. Nich is originally from southeastern Arizona and enjoys exploring the creeks, rivers, mountains, and deserts of the southwest. He loves a new recipe, a new book, or a trying a new restaurant.
Molly Cashion is a second-year Masters of Art in Sustainability student in the ASU School of Sustainability. She is originally from Nashville, Tennessee and received her Bachelors of Science in Biology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Upon completing the Paralegal Certificate Program at Emory University, she began working for a regional environmental nonprofit organization in Birmingham, Alabama that focuses on utilizing the power of the law to protect the Southeast’s valuable places and resources. During her time in Birmingham, she volunteered with several prominent local environmental nonprofits, including serving on the Board of Directors for the Alabama Rivers Alliance, and serving on planning committees for Alabama Environmental Council’s outreach events. Before coming to Arizona, she worked at Philmont Scout Ranch, the Boy Scouts of America’s largest national high adventure camp. There she enjoyed educating scouts about weather patterns and astronomy. These experiences have inspired her to better understand people’s relationship with nature. Molly’s master’s thesis involves exploring how young people in Christian environmental education programs conceptualize their place in the natural world and its connection to their spirituality. In her spare time, Molly enjoys hiking, backpacking, playing music, and volunteering in her local community.