Triton Leaders Conference 2024: Speakers

Rosa León Zayas

Program Director, National Science Foundation

Friday, February 2, 2024  | 12:30–1:00 p.m.

Rosa León Zayas is an environmental microbiologist who explores some of the most remote places on the planet. After receiving her bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, she studied the genomes of ultra deep-sea single-cell microbes at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego, focusing her efforts on microbes from the Puerto Rico Trench and the Mariana Trench. During her postdoctoral work at the University of Delaware, she focused on studies of deep subsurface environments. As a tenured Associate Professor at Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, Zayas has built a collaborative research program that includes exploring complex problems such as exploring the microbial degradation of PET plastic, the biodegradation of hormones in fresh water systems, the metabolic complexities of subsurface and deep ocean trenches and, most recently, exploring climate driven changes in algae blooms. Currently, Zayas is a rotating Program Director at the National Science Foundation, within the Geoscience Directorate in the division of Research, Innovation, Synergy and Education (RISE) focused on furthering education and broadening participation within the geosciences.

Throughout her career, Zayas has been dedicated to educating the next generation of scientists by doing science — or in other words, by providing opportunities for undergraduate students from all backgrounds to experience the process of generating new knowledge. Zayas is also deeply committed to the advancement of groups traditionally underrepresented in STEM, and she’s especially passionate about engaging members of the Puerto Rican, Hispanic and queer communities.

Margaret Leinen

Vice Chancellor and Dean, UC San Diego

Saturday, February 3, 2024  | 8:30–9:00 a.m.

Margaret Leinen was appointed the eleventh Director of Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego in July 2013. She also serves as UC San Diego’s Vice Chancellor for Marine Sciences and Dean of the School of Marine Sciences. She joined UC San Diego in October 2013.

Leinen is an award-winning oceanographer and distinguished national and international leader in ocean science, global climate and environmental issues. Her research in paleo-oceanography and paleo-climatology focuses on ocean sediments and their relationship to global biogeochemical cycles and the history of Earth’s ocean and climate.

Leinen leads UC San Diego’s ocean, earth, atmospheric and climate science research and education programs at Scripps Oceanography, the foremost environmental research institution addressing the pressing environmental problems facing our planet. Scripps Oceanography provides the knowledge necessary to address these challenges, teaches the next generation of science leaders and partners with government, non-profits and the private sector to translate knowledge to action.

Leinen enhances Scripps and UC San Diego through her impressive career in academic research and administration, federal research administration, and non-profit startups. She served for seven years at the National Science Foundation (NSF) as Assistant Director for Geosciences and Coordinator of Environmental Research and Education. During that time she also led government-wide planning for climate research through the US Global Change Research Program, and co-led government planning for ocean research. While at NSF, she presided over and directly influenced the development of some of the most consequential programs in marine, atmospheric, and earth science including EarthScope and the Ocean Observatories Initiative.

Prior to joining Scripps, she served as Vice Provost for Marine and Environmental Initiatives and Executive Director of Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, a unit of Florida Atlantic University. At the University of Rhode Island, she was Vice Provost for Marine and Environmental Programs and Dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography.

She is the founder and served as president of the Climate Response Fund, a non-profit organization that works to foster discussion of climate engineering research and to decrease the risk that these techniques might be called on or deployed before they are adequately understood and regulated. She also spent two years as the Chief Science Officer of Climos, Inc., a startup focused on green technology for climate mitigation.

Leinen currently serves as co-chair of the Decade Advisory Board for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and is a member of the distinguished Leadership Council of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative. From 2016-2018 she served as a U.S. Science Envoy focusing on ocean science in Latin America, East Asia, and the Pacific. She has served as President of the American Geophysical Union, Chair of the Atmospheric and Hydrospheric Science Section of the American Academy for the Advancement of Science, and President of The Oceanography Society. She serves on the boards of the California Ocean Science Trust and Science Counts. She is the Vice Chair of the Research Board of the $500 million Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative.

Leinen is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Geological Society of America, the American Geophysical Union and The Oceanography Society. She was elected an Honorary Member of the American Meteorological Society. She has been awarded Distinguished Alumni Awards from all three universities she attended as a student: University of Illinois, Oregon State University, and University of Rhode Island. In 2020, she was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Leinen received her doctorate in oceanography from the University of Rhode Island (1980), her master's degree in geological oceanography from Oregon State University (1975), and her bachelor's degree in geology from the University of Illinois (1969).

Caroline Freund

Author and Dean, UC San Diego

Saturday, February 3, 2024  | 12:30–1:00 p.m.

Dean of the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, Caroline Freund is an expert in international trade and economic development.

Prior to joining GPS, she served as global director of Trade, Investment and Competitiveness at the World Bank. Freund also served as a senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. In addition, she has worked as chief economist for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank, after working for nearly a decade in the international trade unit of the research department. Freund began her career in the international finance division of the Federal Reserve Board and spent a year visiting the research department of the IMF.

The author of “Rich People Poor Countries: The Rise of Emerging Market Tycoons and their Mega Firms,” Freund was co-director of the World Bank’s flagship World Development Report 2020 on Global Value Chains. She has also published many articles on the effects of regional trade agreements and edited a volume on “The WTO and Reciprocal Preferential Trading Agreements.” Her work has appeared in academic journals, including: American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Review of Economics and Statistics, Journal of International Economics and Journal of Development Economics.

Freund was also a member of the EXIM Bank advisory committee from 2014-16, and the scientific committees of CEPII (Institute for Research of the International Economy, Paris) and the Economic Research Forum (Cairo). She is a member of the Centre for Economic Policy Research and on the editorial board of the Economics and Politics journal.

Freund holds a doctorate in economics from Columbia University (1997), and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and economics from Bowdoin College (1988).

Paloma Aguirre, MAS ’15

Mayor, City of Imperial Beach

Paloma Aguirre serves as Mayor at-large for the City of Imperial Beach. Paloma Aguirre is a first-generation Mexican American. She was born in San Francisco, CA and lived there until she was eight years old. Her family then moved to Mexico where she spent the rest of her formative years.

‍In 2001, she moved back to the U.S. in pursuit of a college degree and competitive bodyboarding. Upon arrival, she first surfed Imperial Beach and immediately fell in love with its people and its waves. Mayor Aguirre went on to compete in bodyboarding competitions, both locally and regionally. On occasion, she found herself competing in the men’s category where she is known to have won a trophy or two.

‍After putting herself through college, she graduated from the University of San Diego (USD) with a B.A. in Psychology. She later earned a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Brandman University and obtained a Master of Advanced Studies in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation, from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) in 2015.

‍Early in her career, Mayor Aguirre worked as a social-justice community organizer in South San Diego, helping low-income families address immigration, foreclosure, and predatory lending issues. Later, she joined WILDCOAST, a formerly Imperial Beach-based coastal and marine conservation non-profit where she worked for over 10 years. Aguirre’s primary focus was fighting cross-border pollution of the Tijuana River Valley that directly impacts the coastal region of the San Diego-Tijuana border region, including Imperial Beach. Her bilingual and bicultural lived experience allows her to be a leading advocate in the fight against sewage pollution.

‍In 2014, Aguirre was named Woman of the Year for her outstanding leadership in environmental conservation and for her work restoring the Tijuana River Valley. In 2016, she was selected for the prestigious NOAA Sea Grant Knauss fellowship in Washington D.C. where she worked for U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). Aguirre assisted him in drafting and passing bills to reduce trash in our oceans and improve math and science skills in minorities. In 2018, she was elected as the City’s first Latina Councilmember for the City of Imperial Beach.

Mayor Aguirre represents the City of Imperial Beach on the San Diego Community Power Board of Directors, and as alternate on the Metropolitan Transit System (MTS) Board. She also serves as Speaker Anthony Rendon’s San Diego Coast appointee on the California Coastal Commission, and as Governor Newsom’s appointee to the Good Neighbor Environmental Board, an independent federal advisory committee, which advises the President and Congress of the United States on good neighbor practices along the U.S. border with Mexico.

‍In her spare time, Mayor Aguirre enjoys bodyboarding and spending time with her husband and two dogs Dante and Dasha.

Session Speaker for:

• Climate Change and the Sewage Crisis/Environmental Justice Nexus

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Jamal Russell Black, MIA ’16

Senior Officer, Climate & Economics at San Diego Regional Policy and Innovation Center

As a researcher and consultant, Jamal Russell Black has focused on evaluating systemic inequities within our economic system and developing decarbonization roadmaps. He leverages data-driven and geospatial research techniques to gain a comprehensive understanding of research questions and to provide actionable insights. Additionally, he has embarked on a PhD, conducting research in the areas of equity, energy and economics.

Black’s previous work includes collaborating with Fortune 100 companies on their decarbonization journeys. His focus encompassed Scope 1, 2 and 3 GHG accounting and reduction strategies, such as Net-Zero Science Based Targets, zero emission mobility, carbon capture and storage market analysis, and carbon offset strategies.

Black holds a master's degree in Econometrics and Quantitative Economics from UC San Diego. He strongly believes that finding viable solutions to the climate crisis is a responsibility we all share. His enthusiasm for innovative, market-based approaches to combating climate change is surpassed only by his unwavering commitment to an equitable green transition.

Session Speaker for:

• Climate Action Plans and Sustainable Environmental Impact

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Rhett Ayers Butler ’99

Founder & CEO, Mongabay

Rhett Ayers Butler is a journalist and entrepreneur. Shortly after graduating from UC San Diego in 1999, he founded Mongabay, an award-winning news service that reports on issues at the intersection of people and nature, with a special focus on the world's biodiversity hotspots. Today, Mongabay has more than 90 staff and about 1,000 contributing journalists in nearly 80 countries who produce original reporting in English, Indonesian, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Hindi. Beyond Mongabay, Butler’s photos and writings have been published in numerous articles, books and academic journals. Butler is the first and only journalist to both win the Parker/Gentry Award and the Heinz Award.

Session Speaker for:

• Environmental Equity Through the Lens of Journalists

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 3-4 p.m.

Christopher Gopal

Global Supply Chain and Operations Consultant and Educator

For more than 40 years, Christopher Gopal has worked in global supply chain and operations, international trade and technology, in a career that has encompassed industry executive management, consulting and executive education. He has held executive positions at several leading companies, including Ernst & Young Consulting, Dell Computer, Unisys and SAIC.

A Member of the Defense Business Board (DBB), Gopal provides the Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Defense, as well as other senior leaders, trusted independent and objective advice which reflects an outside private sector perspective on proven and effective best business practices for consideration and potential application to the Department. He is also a member of the Private Sector Advisory Group of the Global Fund, based in Geneva, and has served on a White House sub-committee on Manufacturing Technologies.

Gopal teaches at UC San Diego and at the University of Southern California, where he also serves on the Advisory Board of the Global Supply Chain Management Center. He recently testified before the US Congressional US-China Committee on "Evolving U.S.-China Trade and Supply Chains."

Session Speaker for:

• Global Supply Chains: Perspectives and Trade-offs on Environmental Justice

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Noel Gutierrez-Brizuela, MS ’18, PhD ’23

Postdoctoral Scientist at Columbia University

Noel Brizuela’s work explores how hurricanes and extreme events leave a permanent mark on the ocean and climate. Using a combination of direct measurements, models and theory, he seeks to integrate extreme weather and associated ocean processes into theories of earth science and the practice of climate adaptation. Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Gutierrez-Brizuela has used his multicultural background to communicate science in diverse settings ranging from government boardrooms to viral blog posts and livestreams. He now works as a Postdoctoral Scientist at Columbia University, where he investigates the ocean's role in shaping the future of hurricanes.

Session Speaker for:

• Student and Alumni Reflections: COP27

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Andy Hattala

Sustainability Coordinator, UC San Diego HDH

Andy Hattala serves as Sustainability Coordinator for Housing, Dining and Hospitality (HDH) at UC San Diego. In his role, he oversees sustainability initiatives, consults on matters of sustainability, supervises the EcoNauts, student sustainability programmers and directs the production of sustainability content for the department. In his time at UC San Diego, he developed sustainability training for campus’s Residential Life staff, developed presentations on delivering sustainable events and programming, assisted in the implementation of composting throughout HDH, and oversaw the creation of multiple viral sustainability-related social media posts.

He is an advocate and volunteer who holds multiple certifications and accreditations in the field of sustainability and mentorship. Recent work has involved program development, strategic planning and community engagement, which has led to significant sustainability initiatives and policy changes at UC San Diego and UCLA.

Hattala also serves on the leadership teams of the Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley chapters of The Climate Reality Project. He is always working to adopt more sustainable behaviors and live an increasingly zero waste lifestyle. The mantra by which he lives is, "Don’t leave the world a little better, leave it *significantly* better than when first encountered." Andy is a proud UCLA alumnus.

Session Speaker for:

• Global Supply Chains: Perspectives and Trade-offs on Environmental Justice

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 1:30-2:30 p.m.

Dr. Erin Noste

Board Certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services and Associate Clinical Professor within the Department of Emergency Medicine at UC San Diego

Dr. Erin Noste is board certified in Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services and an Associate Clinical Professor within the Department of Emergency Medicine at University of California San Diego. Dr. Noste completed her Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry at the University of California Santa Barbara and her medical degree at the University of California Davis. She then continued her medical training with residency in Emergency Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center. Following her residency training, Dr. Noste completed fellowships in Operational and Disaster Medicine and Emergency Medical Services. Dr. Noste's academic interests include disaster management and response, global emergency medicine, development of EMS systems in low and middle-income countries, innovation in disaster response, and fellow, resident, medical student and paramedic education.

Dr. Noste has worked on an EMS development project in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with her Tanzanian partners. She is the Medical Director for NYCMedics, a global disaster response organization. She served as the Deputy Medical Director for Team Rubicon, a disaster relief, non-profit organization (2016-21). She led the organization to become North America’s first classified Emergency Medical Team by the World Health Organization (WHO). Dr. Noste now works with the WHO as a clinical and technical consultant in the Western Pacific developing Emergency Medical Teams for disaster response. She was raised in San Diego and enjoys international travel.

Session Speaker for:

• UC Disaster Resilience Network

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Eesha Rangani, MS ’23

PhD Candidate, University of Southern California

Eesha Rangani is a PhD student at the University of Southern California, where she focuses her research on microbial ecology in the ocean. Prior to her PhD, Rangani obtained a Master's degree in Marine Biology from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography where she studied deep-sea invertebrates. Her interest in climate policy began during her participation in COP27 in Sharm El-Sheikh as part of UC San Diego’s delegation. She is broadly interested in Ocean Policy, BBNJ, Plastic Pollution and Goal 14 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Rangani believes that policy needs to account for the trade-offs of the green energy transition, such as the mining of valuable minerals required to build this system. She is also passionate about advocating for voices in the global south and recognizing the disregard for not only marginalized people but also the science produced in this region.

Session Speaker for:

• Student and Alumni Reflections: COP27

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Heather I. Shepard, MPIA ’95

Senior Director of Advanced Energy, TRC Companies, Inc.

Heather Shepard has over 20 years of expertise in renewable energy, transportation and building electrification, energy storage market development, energy policy and sustainability programs. She has focused her career on building new programs and projects to scale and accelerate clean energy, sustainable technologies and related organizational development. Shepard has a strong belief in the power of collaborative and diverse community partnerships to advance customer adoption of sustainable technologies.

She is currently Senior Director at TRC Companies where she oversees strategy implementation for their Advanced Energy practice, as well as leading client-facing decarbonization programs for public agencies and businesses. Prior to TRC, Shepard was the Director of Public Affairs for Marin Clean Energy, California’s first Community Choice Energy agency where she oversaw customer operations, community education/engagement and marketing. Shepard has held a variety of leadership roles advancing clean energy market development, including serving as the Director of Development and Marketing for the Center for Sustainable Energy. Shepard has a master’s degree in Global Policy and Strategy from UC San Diego where she was a Robinson Fellow, and a BA in English Literature from Wesleyan University.

Session Speaker for:

• Success Stories and Opportunities: Environmental Justice & Energy Equity

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 4:30-5:30 p.m.

Rishi Sugla, PhD ’14

Climate Resilience Scientist and Filmmaker

Rishi Sugla is a lead scientist at the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group. His work is transdisciplinary and combines geosciences, marine ecology, environmental justice and storytelling/communications. He is interested in how historic inequities can be addressed through community-driven climate adaptation. Rishi uses his position at the Climate Impacts Group to create research, projects and programs that continue to amplify the work and capacity of frontline communities. In 2021, he received his PhD in Earth Science from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

Session Speaker for:

• Climate Justice & Frontline Communities

  Friday, February 2, 2024 | 3:00-4:00 p.m.

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Antonio Catanzarite

Current Student

Student Antonio Catanzarite is majoring in Environmental Systems - Ecology, Behavior and Evolution. From an early age, he learned as a Boy Scout to “leave only footprints” — to treat the land with respect and allow it to function sustainably.

Catanzarite feels it is his duty to give back to the biosphere. By gaining a better understanding of our impact on Earth, he seeks a career that will “help steer humanity toward achieving harmony with the planet that raised me.”

While at UC San Diego, Catanzarite is focused on growing as a scientist and reaching out to engage with different communities. He is Director of Community Relations and Development for the Society of Asian Scientists and Engineers (SASE) and interned for CALPIRG at UC San Diego. “As I approach my third year at UC San Diego, I hope to gain as much experience as I can so I will be better prepared to engage with the real world," he said.

Session Speaker for:

• Awardee Reflections: Environmental Justice Award

  Saturday, February 3, 2024 | 11 a.m.-Noon

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