Briana Villaverde is a rising fourth year undergraduate student studying Environmental Science and Policy alongside Chicano/Latino Studies at UC Irvine. She was brought on to the Disadvantaged Communities Involvement (DCI) program in June 2019 as a Community Water Intern where she supported the the Research Justice Shop to plan and implement 12 listening sessions with members of designated disadvantaged communities across the watershed, 5 in San Bernardino, 5 in Orange County and 2 in Riverside County as a part of the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority (SAWPA).
In her final report, Community Engagement in the Santa Ana Watershed, she shares both reflective and informative content on the process of organizing, implementing, and conducting these listening sessions — specifically, the report highlights the role of community engagement and interpretation.
Since her time as a community water intern, Briana joined the California Coastal Commission as a Coastal Research Planning intern where she supported research on Venice’s historic neighborhood, Oakwood, and how coastal development altered the community character. Briana is currently a finalist for the Rudd Family Foundation Big Ideas Competition for Climate Mobilized, an educational board game that ties together climate science and organizing to pass green legislation. She will be off to Washington DC in the fall as part of the UCDC program where she hopes to land an internship in Congress or at an organization dedicated to advancing environmental justice.
Contact Info:
LinkedIn: Briana Villaverde
E-mail: bvillave@uci.edu
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