BLOOMINGTON — Thirty-five Indiana University students spent their summer advancing environmental sustainability and community resilience across the Hoosier State, contributing more than 13,000 hours of service to local governments, non-profits, and businesses.
The McKinney Climate Fellows (MCF) program, administered by IU’s Environmental Resilience Institute (ERI), pairs undergraduate and graduate students with host organizations in need of sustainability support. From late May through early August, the 2026 cohort executed projects ranging from urban forestry master plans and clean energy policy research to community outreach and federal grant writing.
Broad Impact Across Indiana Communities
Students tackled high-priority local projects tailored to the specific needs of their host communities and organizations:
- Urban Forestry and Green Infrastructure: Fellows in multiple municipalities focused on expanding tree canopy and heat mitigation. Bea Burton (City of Evansville), Taylor Stout (City of Lawrence), and Stefan Boes (Dearborn County) each drafted urban forest master plans. Meanwhile, Diana Zebroski (South Bend) and Alexandra Stellrecht (Lafayette) analyzed local data to create equitable tree-planting strategies.
- Energy Audit and Policy: Sandip Sarker worked with the Indiana Energy Independence Fund researching solar tariffs, while Anjani Dent assisted the City of Carmel in tracking energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions from municipal facilities. Riley Welsh promoted clean air, water, and energy policy with Indiana Conservation Voters.
- Water Resources and Public Health: Priscilla Boateng developed a communications strategy for the Lake Monroe Water Fund to support septic system repairs in the watershed. Joshua Pine created interactive career and planning tools for the Alliance of Indiana Rural Water, and Hannah Jones assembled 220 heat-wave cooling kits for Evansville residents.
- Community Conservation: Students also supported regional soil and water conservation districts, including Ellie Albin in Brown County and Katherine Melbert in Hamilton County. In Northwest Indiana, Anna Wagner (Shirley Heinze Land Trust) and Ben Schweitzer (Save the Dunes) focused on nature-based climate solutions and regional conservation databases.
- Rural Grant Support: A team of fellows—Stephanie Smith, Lauren Maki, Carlos Santacruz Pantoja, and Lucca Stinchi Kohl—worked alongside ERI staff with the Indiana Resilience Funding Hub to help rural Indiana communities secure competitive conservation grants.
Program Support
The McKinney Climate Fellows program is supported through partnerships and funding from the McKinney Family Foundation, the Broad Ripple Ice Cream Station, the U.S. Forest Service, the Indiana Department of Natural Resources Community and Urban Forestry program, and individual ERI donors.
