The Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business Announces the 2024-25 Scheller College Sustainability Fellows and Ambassadors

The program for Scheller College of Business Graduate Sustainability Fellows and Undergraduate Sustainability Ambassadors started its tenth year by breaking a record. The program (originally only for MBA students) launched in 2014 with three participants. This year, the program had more applications than ever – almost 70 – and welcomed nearly thirty Fellows and Ambassadors for the 2024-25 cohort.

The program provides students with a unique enrichment opportunity to dive deep into sustainability topics for business. Participants take part in a wide range of activities throughout the academic year with the focus being a year-long team project for a partner.

Organized by the Ray C. Anderson Center for Sustainable Business (Center) at the Georgia Tech Scheller College of Business, the program is managed by Arianna Robinson, the Center’s assistant director of business operations, and Kjersti Lukens , the Center’s program manager. “ Every year, we receive incredible applicants, with this year being our most competitive application cycle to date,” Lukens reflects. “This was also the first year we really reached out to our ever-growing alumni network for projects.  It was gratifying to receive a number of project ideas from Georgia Tech graduates who have been involved with the Center as Fellows, Ambassadors, and social entrepreneurs.”

Robinson adds, “It speaks to the strength of our programs and the Center's effectiveness when we see our students graduate, find or create sustainability-related roles, and come back to collaborate with current students.”

The Center is pleased to introduce team projects and changemakers from across campus who have been selected for the 2024-25 academic year. While Scheller serves as the program’s home, the organizers welcome students from all academic areas. After all, sustainable changes at a global scale will require participation and innovation from people of all backgrounds.

This year’s team projects include:

Drawdown Georgia Business Compact – Creating a roadmap for the creation of carbon credits/offsets for equitable home weatherization projects.

• Vadym Nahornyi, Ambassador, industrial engineering major 

• Ansley Nguyen, Ambassador, industrial engineering major 
• Audrey Griffin, Executive MBA 

UMC Global Ministries – Generating UMC funds to support disaster relief, humanitarian aid, and conversions to solar power as compensation for emissions.

• Tom O’Brien​, Fellow, Full-time MBA​

• Vivian Ritter​, Ambassador, chemical and biomolecular engineering major

Large Language Models (LLMs) – Researching the environmental impact of LLMs, understanding potential solutions, and recommending practices for sustainable AI.

• Sasipa Viravan​, Ambassador, electrical engineering​ major

• Andrew Pietkiewicz​, Ambassador, industrial and systems engineering major

• Vidhi Kulkarni​, Ambassador, computer science​ major

Epsten Group & REGO – Researching a waste auditing platform (REGO) to measure Epsten’s waste streams; analyzing opportunities/risks for waste tracking programs.

• Nabeel Ahmad​, Fellow, Full-time MBA

• Lauren Dasher​, Fellow, Full-time MBA

• Shutong Guo​, Ambassador, industrial and systems engineering major

CBRE: Sustainable Incentive Tracking Tool – Building a tool to help property management access incentives, rebates, and guidance related to environmental regulations.

• Anshu Nagabhairava​, Ambassador, business administration major

• Ambarish Kota​, Fellow, MSEEM

• Sarah Hailu​, Ambassador, public policy major

• Cyra Alesha​, Ambassador, industrial and systems engineering major

CBRE: Mapping Properties to Green Certificates – Developing a robust tool that maps property attributes to corresponding green certifications, emphasizing gap analysis to help property managers make informed, sustainable decisions.

• Clare Chung​, Ambassador, industrial and systems engineering major

• Sofia Romero-Delgado, Ambassador, industrial and systems engineering major

• Krishnam Thirumala​, Fellow, Executive MBA​

• Noelle Watkins​; Ambassador; double major: environmental engineering, applied languages and intercultural studies

Friends of Refugees: Sustainable Transportation Feasibility Study – Assessing the utilization of fleet vehicles and developing a strategy that promotes efficiency while maximizing transportation access.

• Anthony Lecca​, Ambassador, business administration major

• Justin Le, ​Ambassador, chemical and biomolecular engineering major

Raccoon Eyes: Data and Behavioral Analysis – Reducing cafeteria food waste at an elementary school by using the client’s technology and behavioral strategies to encourage mindful consumption.

• Ivan Santillan​, Fellow, Evening MBA

• Catherine Dent​, Ambassador, public policy major

• Nikhita Chinmay, Ambassador, business administration major

Bancolombia: ESG Research – Creating a robust framework for measuring and enhancing the social and environmental value generated by the bank’s operations.

• Sydney Elmore​, Fellow, Executive MBA

• Rose Espiritu​, Fellow, Evening MBA​

• Mariana Anargyrou​, Ambassador, industrial engineering major

• Ezra Mahle​, Ambassador, industrial engineering major

Student teams are currently working with partners and clients to research sustainability challenges and opportunities. Fellow Lauren Dasher, who is working on the Epsten Group & REGO project, says, “This program has been a unique opportunity for me because I’ve had the chance to engage with professionals who are driving innovation in the sustainability space, specifically in sustainable building certifications and scope 3 emissions auditing.” Dasher is a former elementary school teacher who successfully spearheaded sustainability initiatives in her school. Now a full-time MBA student, she reflects, “I believe that it’s our calling to preserve our collective quality of life, and to pass light, joy, and opportunity on to future generations. This is my personal mission, and I believe that sustainability is a mindset that can be integrated into any role or industry.”

Ambassador Nikhita Chinmay shares Dasher’s enthusiasm. The business administration major and member of the Raccoon Eyes team says, “This program has been amazing because I’ve had the chance to work with graduate students and peers from different majors. Everyone is bringing unique experiences to a food waste project that we’re all passionate about.”

Previous Fellows and Ambassadors and alumni of other Center programs generously share their time and expertise by hosting projects. Ivan Zou, CmpE ’23, CTO and co-founder of Raccoon Eyes, is partnering with the Center to collaborate on insights and strategies to reduce food waste in elementary schools. Zou says, “We’ve drafted a plan that is set to launch in spring.” Zou is an alumnus of the Center by way of SUSTAIN-X, which has supported the startup launch of Raccoon Eyes.

Eddie Massey, founder and CEO of Catalyst Robotics and 2020-21 Fellow, returned to the Center to work with students on a sustainable AI project. He states, “When I got the opportunity to work with students as a mentor on a project relevant to my work and passion, it was a no brainer. As an alumnus of the amazing program, I know first hand the caliber of mentorship, research, and learning offered to produce high-quality results.”

In addition to working on projects, participants are invited to fully engage with the Center and to participate in personal development activities related to well-being. Students are, for instance, encouraged to attend talks by guest speakers and to network with practitioners at symposia. Upon graduation, Fellows and Ambassadors become Center alumni. The Center maintains close ties with alumni of the program, a number of whom have stayed involved with the Center through activities such as serving on the Advisory Board and speaking at career panels for current students.

The Center is pleased to share profiles of this year’s Fellows and Ambassadors.

Written by Jennifer Holley Lux