As DDL continues our research developing and applying data-driven methods to understand global climate action, urban environmental impacts, and more, we are excited to introduce you to our Spring 2023 student research assistants (RAs)!
Our RAs are vital to the success of DDL. They do everything from desk research, web scraping of data sets, data cleaning and analysis, and writing to help us find answers to some of the world’s most pressing issues at the intersection of data science, policy, and environment.
Keep reading to learn more about our RAs, what inspires them, and what they do here at DDL.
Christian Chung
(BA Public Policy and Biology, minor in Environmental Science, ’24)
“I love the DDL’s interdisciplinary landscape that intersects policy, technology, and climate science!”
Christian is a junior majoring in Biology and Public Policy with a minor in Environmental Science. He first got involved with DDL as a student delegate to COP27, where he was able to learn about DDL’s mission and work. At DDL, he works on blog posts and case studies related to our UESI project in addition to data validation for our Net Zero Tracker. In the future, Christian hopes to use the data-science skills and robust climate science vocabulary learned at DDL in a career related to international environmental law and climate change mitigation.
Davin Rammani
(BS Computer Science and Math `23)
“I’m most excited to be able to utilize my programming abilities to create new visualizations about environmental factors around the world and to learn first-hand about new and evolving climate trends.”
Davin is a senior studying Computer Science and Mathematics with interests in data analytics and how data can be used to discover interdisciplinary patterns. At DDL, he works on front-end development for the Urban Environment & Social Inclusion Index project, which visualizes sustainability and social equity in nearly 300 cities across the globe. Post-graduation, Davin hopes to use the front-end programming, coding, and data analytics skills learned at DDL to become a software engineer or data scientist.
Ella Feathers
(BA Economics and Environmental Studies, minor in Journalism ‘24; MA Environment and Science Communication ‘25)
“I am excited to work at the intersection of various disciplines and appreciate DDL’s commitment to making their cutting-edge climate research accessible.”
Ella is a junior majoring in Economics and Environmental Studies with a minor and acceptance to a Masters program in Journalism. Her interests lie at the intersection of climate change, policy, and effective communication. At DDL, she translates technical concepts into accessible, engaging blogs and social media posts. Ella hopes to take her writing and communication skills from DDL into a career in renewable energy finance or communications.
Hantao Wang
(PhD Student)
“I am deeply interested in global climate change, and joining DDL provides me with access to researchers in this field. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to learn more about this area of research.”
Hantao is pursuing a PhD in Environmental Engineering from the Gillings School of Public Health. His research uses a data fusion framework to create a global ozone map. Here at DDL, he is working on data analysis and visualization for our Global Climate Action and Urban Environment and Social Inclusion projects. Hantao is excited to continue his research and network with other climate change related researchers. He plans to leverage the skills learned at DDL into a career as a data scientist focused on global climate and air pollution.
Jackson Dowden
(BS Computer Science and Quantitative Biology, minor in Data Science ‘23)
“What I’ve found most exciting about working at the DDL is that their mission lines up with my values, and I can be proud of the work I am doing. It’s also exciting to be working with real data and solving problems that you don’t face in the classroom.”
Jackson is a senior majoring in Computer Science and Quantitative Biology with a minor in Data Science. He is interested in exploring the applications of cloud technologies in the healthcare and biotechnology industries. At DDL, he uses data management skills to test potential tools and coordinates with partner companies to build a joint data-pipelining solution. Jackson also works on data cleaning and harmonization, where he manipulates datasets to fit DDL’s data schema so that we can utilize data from different sources together in one place. After graduating, Jackson plans to work as a Solutions Architect at AWS, where he will employ the data cleaning, harmonization, and manipulation skills he learned at DDL.
Steve Yoon
(BS Environmental Science, minor in GIS ‘23)
“I’m excited to work at DDL because of the lab’s purpose: to provide clear data as a guide for environmental action. In a time where we need to make complex decisions that have uncertain outcomes but can change our future for the better, certainty in data is what we must rely on. Other labs also strive for great data. But the fact that DDL made it their name and main purpose is what gives me confidence and excitement in my decision to work at DDL.”
Steve is a senior studying Environmental Science with a minor in GIS. Academically, Steve is interested in how remote-sensing knowledge can be used to make informed policy decisions about interactions between humans and the environment. At DDL, he is working on creating and evaluating cities’ spatial boundaries and organizing emissions data using GIS tools. After graduation, Steve plans to use the skills learned from his time at DDL to study hydrology using remote sensing tools and make data-driven recommendations to policymakers about water resource management.
We are so excited to get to work with such a driven, diverse, and talented team! Stay tuned to hear more about the amazing work our RAs, and the rest of us at DDL, are doing to push the boundaries of data-driven environmental research and policy.
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