Hello! Welcome to Real Talk Buddies! My name is Sierra Hampton and I am a 2nd year in ESPM’s Society and Environment division and I am a member of the Chickasaw Nation. I am very interested in Indigenous food systems and food sovereignty, agroecology, sovereignty movements, and qualitative methods. I transferred from community college to finish my undergrad at Berkeley in Political Science and took 2 years off after graduation to work at a youth education non-profit here in the bay. I did my 2-year Master’s in Sweden on International Development, and lived in many different countries after graduation, so I enjoy supporting international students or students who want to study or work in other countries. Now I study with Native American Tribes, primarily my own, to understand various challenges and strengths Tribes have in strengthening food sovereignty. 

I am Native American and first generation, and the first in my family to pursue a graduate degree. I co-founded Real Talk Buddies to be a space where students can talk in a natural way about their experiences as undergraduates, and get caring support from people who have been there before. 

Research interests: plant ecology, climate change, remote sensing

I completed my undergraduate studies at Berkeley and am now a PhD student here in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management. I study the effects of anthropogenic disturbances on plant communities to inform effective land management practices. Through my dissertation research, I investigate the effects of changing disturbances on woody plant communities in the North American West, particularly focusing on drought and fire. Past projects at Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, Columbia University, and NASA include studying the effects of changing timing of seasonal drought in alpine meadows in the Colorado Rockies, increasingly severe wind events in forests in the Caribbean, and human activities driving algal blooms in the Great Lakes. 

Alongside my research, I have been involved in many efforts to support a diverse, thriving community in science as an educator (UC Berkeley, NYC Department of Parks and Recreation, Columbia University Girls’ Science Day), organizer (Real Talk Buddies, ESPM Quals Prep Support Group, Sacramento Street Agroecology Demonstration Garden), board director (Berkeley Student Cooperative), and community member. 

I co-founded Real Talk Buddies in the spring of 2022 to provide a resource for mentorship and community support for undergraduate students at Berkeley. My hope is that Real Talk Buddies can help students feel a sense of belonging and empowerment in the university.

Research interests: plant ecology, climate change, remote sensing

I’m a second year graduate student in Berkeley’s Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management in the ecosystem sciences division. I’m interested in how terrestrial ecosystems and our atmosphere interact with each other (bonus if those ecosystems are wetlands or croplands), and how natural and managed lands can adapt to and mitigate climate change. My current research focuses on the drivers of the spatial heterogeneity of methane and nitrous oxide (two of the most powerful greenhouse gasses!) from agricultural peatlands in the Sacremento San-Joaquin Delta. As an undergrad, I studied atmospheric and environmental sciences. My thesis was on methods of measuring tropospheric ozone deposition over hardwood forests in Massachusetts.

I didn’t actually decide to pursue a career in research until the later half of my junior year. I absolutely loved the field work associated with some of my ecology classes.  However, I would never have followed or probably even discovered this path if it weren’t for a fantastic undergrad mentor who walked me through the often confusing steps towards graduate school. With Real Talk Buddies, I hope to help make that process easier for anyone interested, and make academia a more welcoming place !

Email: C.kwong@berkeley.edu

Research Interests: Urban Ecology, Environmental Justice/Health, Human-Wildlife Interactions, Animal Behavior

My research interests lie in understanding more about the human-wildlife-environment nexus. I’m broadly interested in understanding how humans and cities influence organismal biology (e.g., behavior, health) and, subsequently, population ecology/community dynamics (e.g., coexistence, competition). For my dissertation, I center environmental (in)justice to fully understand landscapes and the factors that shape them for both humans and wildlife. Specifically, I explore how environmental injustice influences pollution in cities, wildlife behavior, wildlife health, and community dynamics. I plan on using this work to conceptualize how we can build more just and equitable cities that work for people and wildlife alike. Prior to starting my doctoral research, I completed my undergraduate work at Florida State University where I investigated how microplastics influence the reproductive success of broadcast spawners with Dr. Don Levitan. Following this, I completed a post-bac position with Dr. Elizabeth Hobson where I primarily researched how we can leverage playbacks to (a) manage monk parakeet populations and (b) understand relationship dynamics between individuals.

I helped establish Real Talk Buddies in 2022 to help demystify what graduate school is and help make it feel like a tangible reality for those who want to pursue it. My main hope is that Real Talk Buddies is a relevant and useful resource that supports undergrads, especially first-generation students.

Website: cesaroestien.com; Twitter: @EstienCesar; Email: cestien@berkeley.edu

​​Research Interests: ecosystem restoration, tropical rainforest ecology, ecosystem services, impact evaluation

I am interested in the drivers of successful tropical forest landscape restoration, and the co-benefits of forest restoration for biodiversity and ecosystem services. After college, I served as a Peace Corps Volunteer (’19-’20) in eastern Madagascar, working with community leaders to empower farmers to start and scale multi-strata agroforestry systems, as well as to increase the prevalence of native trees in agricultural landscapes. Inspired by this work, I am centering my dissertation research on rainforest regeneration and restoration in Madagascar. 

I have also previously studied the behavioral ecology of Anolis lizards, microbial ecology in prairie streams, and monarch butterfly migration, and interned at a regional land conservation nonprofit (The Highstead Foundation), as well as the New Jersey Audubon Society.

I’ve always had a variety of interests, which made it challenging to choose a post-college path. I greatly valued real conversations with a diversity of mentors as I explored my interests during and after college, and I joined Real Talk Buddies’ founding team to help create opportunities for current undergrads to connect with mentors and learn more about life and career paths, too. 

Website: https://katsnotinkansasanymore.home.blog/  Email: kat_culbertson@berkeley.edu

Research Interests: freshwater ecology, hydrology, plant ecophysiology

I am a graduate student in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at UC Berkeley studying the impacts of drought on riverine networks. My research focuses on community reassembly in intermittent streams after drought using field experiments and time series modeling. I am also interested in the role of riparian vegetation in nearstream hydrology and how plants interact with the refugia invertebrates use to escape drought stress. My previous research during my undergraduate studies included modeling habitat suitability for an invasive wetland plant in the Great Lakes as well as modeling environmental gentrification in Chicago. 

After college, I was torn between choosing a career in ecology and economics, and I relied on conversations with fantastic faculty mentors to guide my path. I can’t imagine navigating the graduate school process without their support, and I hope Real Talk Buddies can help foster similar relationships here at Berkeley.

Email: rmohammadi@berkeley.edu

Research Interests: Soil Biogeochemistry, Ecosystem Ecology, Dryland Ecology, Soil Microbiology

I am a 2nd year PhD student here in ESPM, and my interests lie in understanding how our deserts and drylands react to changing climate conditions. I explore the role of soils and soil microbiomes in creating biogeochemical and ecological resilience, contextualizing microbial functioning within the conversation of dryland ecosystem processing. As an undergraduate at UC Santa Barbara, I conducted a thesis using micro-topography and soil biogeochemistry as drivers for changes to microbial respiration at the UC NRS Sedgwick Reserve, and worked on characterizing morphological changes to Coccinellidae ladybugs through habitat shift. Outside of my academic interests, personally I am very interested in and involved with outreach and science education. I have formal pedagogical training, and worked extensively as an educator in non-traditional STEM spaces. Currently, I am co-chair of the Programs Committee through Expanding Your Horizons, a conference providing 5th-8th grade students with female and queer identities STEM experiences and interactions with womxn scientists. 

I was excited to be a part of founding Real Talk Buddies and helping develop the mentorship culture and academic experiences of undergraduate students. My goals are to make academia a more positive space for meaningful mentorship and experiences outside of traditional expectations, and I am happy that Real Talk Buddies works to develop this within our own academic community.

Email: slyarnes@berkeley.edu

Research Interests: Climate Change Adaptation, Critical Race Theory, Critical Environmental Justice, Political Ecology

Edoardo is a doctoral student at the Department of Environmental Science, Policy, & Management (ESPM) at UC Berkeley. His research is focussed on better understanding the effect of climatic changes on forest pathosystems, studying Cypress Cancer Disease (CCD) as a model pathosystem of host-pathogen interaction in climatic changing context. His research involves application of bioinformatics, computational tools and modern biostatistical methods to forest diseases and the interaction of microorganisms, plants, and environments. Before joining ESPM, Edoardo was a research fellow at the University of Florence working in collaboration with the Italian National Research Council on host-pathogen molecular interaction in CCD, of different cypress clones selected for being CCD resistant. While he was a Master’s student at the University of Florence, he participated in the Erasmus Traineeships program for students abroad, as an intern at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science of Uppsala (Sweden). He studied the change of airborne fungal communities over time by applying metagenomic techniques on samples collected from airborne traps.

He has been involved and active in Student Associations, being President of the Association of Forestry Students of the University of Florence in 2021 and Head of the European Forest Institute Subcommission for the International Forestry Students’ Association in 2022.

Email: edoardo_scali@berkeley.edu

Research Interests: Climate Change Adaptation, Critical Race Theory, Critical Environmental Justice, Political Ecology

I am a first-year PhD student interested in using interdisciplinary, community-based approaches to study climate justice. Specifically, my current research critically examines how systems of climate change adaptation interact with military colonial power structures in the U.S. Pacific Island territories. Prior to coming to Berkeley I completed a Master’s in Environmental Science at Yale. There, I researched topics such as participatory climate change planning in New York City, solar energy justice in Connecticut, and climate change reporting in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Outside of academia, I have worked in community organizing, policy advocacy, and environmental education. I am a first-generation college graduate and was also a transfer student during my time as an undergraduate.

I’m excited about supporting the Real Talk Buddies program so that I can help students navigate the confusing and challenging world of college and academia. I’m particularly passionate about providing underrepresented students with the advice and tools they need to succeed!

Email: kieren.rudge@berkeley.edu