PNNL

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) business interns Maryam Masood and Eden Yonas had the opportunity to present their work, “Climate, Generation Z, and Environmental Justice: A New Communications Framework,” at the recent Battelle Conference on Innovations in Climate Resilience. Their presentation discussed communications needs and behaviors among Generation Z, with a focus on climate change and environmental justice, and proposed a framework for building a better discourse.

“Talking about the value of next-generation discourse around climate change was an incredible opportunity. I was very grateful to have a platform to share this message thanks to PNNL and Battelle,” said Masood, who is pursuing a bachelor's degree in organizational studies at the University of Michigan. “It was so impactful to get to meet people doing important big-picture work in the climate resilience space and be surrounded by such a high level of enthusiasm and innovation.”

“Working on our presentation for the climate conference was a new experience for me. It was challenging to create a product that I knew would be presented in front of an audience with whom I had never interacted. It was also extremely fulfilling to have [Masood] bring a new perspective to the table!” said Yonas, who is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from Emory University.

The conference convened government leaders, researchers (including several from PNNL), entrepreneurs, and innovators to explore breakthroughs in technology, policy, and infrastructure that will help mitigate the existential threats that climate change poses.

“Everyone I had the opportunity to connect with at this event and the broader PNNL was so welcoming. The research and communication skills I built by working on this project alongside my co-author Eden and the support of our supervisor Dr. Williams is something that I’ll take with me into my post-undergraduate career,” said Masood. PNNL-Seattle Director Joseph Williams provided insight and mentorship to Masood and Yonas in developing the framework and throughout their time at PNNL.

“This was a great and eye-opening opportunity to work with such bright and enterprising business interns. It was also exciting to see them have the opportunity share their work with such a large audience,” Williams said.

To learn more about PNNL internship opportunities, visit https://www.pnnl.gov/stem-internships.