Robert Brewer, ‘19

Bobby, a 2019 Graham Scholar, is currently an environmental attorney with the Maryland Office of the Attorney General. During his time as a Scholar, he also worked for the Graham Institute and was involved in the College of LSA’s Student Government. After graduating with a BA from the Program in the Environment in 2019, Bobby taught middle and high school science through Teach for America in Colorado. He returned to Ann Arbor for law school, where he co-chaired Michigan’s Environmental Law Society and researched climate litigation and environmental justice, and graduated with a JD in 2024. Bobby originally hails from Northville, Michigan and now lives in Washington, D.C., where he proudly cheers for Detroit’s sports teams each time they come to town.

Ruth DeWit, ‘21

Ruthie was a 2021 Scholar who graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in African-American Studies and a minor in Energy, Science, and Policy from PitE . After working for a few years in DEI, Ruthie returned to school and received an MS in Energy & Sustainability from Northwestern University in 2024. Ruthie now works on the Public Policy team for PosiGen, PBC., a company that provides rooftop solar to low-income homeowners across the country. Outside of work you can find Ruthie swimming laps, playing pickleball, or trying new recipes. A native of Oakland, CA Ruthie now resides in Brooklyn, NY.

Larkin Johnson, ‘21

Larkin graduated from the Program in the Environment in 2021 with a focus on Environmental Communication and a minor in Urban Studies. While at the Graham Institute, she worked on a 44,000-square-foot mixed-use permanent supportive housing project to identify and support community-based best practices and long-term sustainability in Highland Park, MI. Currently, Larkin is a LEED Senior Associate in the LEED Technical Development Department at the US Green Building Council where she focuses primarily on developing standards for Indoor Environmental Quality. Her primary interests and areas of study include biophilic design, inclusive design, and experiential delight. Larkin is a Michigan native but now resides in Portland, Oregon. She likes finding beautiful buildings, biking to new restaurants, and surfing the Oregon coast.

Patrick Lau ’14

Patrick, a 2014 Graham Scholar, is an Environmental Policy Analyst at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. His primary focus revolves around developing systems to implement the phase-down of hydrofluorocarbons, potent greenhouse gases. Patrick has a wealth of experience spanning partnership and regulatory programs, including methane partnership initiatives and research grant programs. He holds a BS in Political Science and PitE from Michigan, as well as an MS in Environmental Science and Policy from Johns Hopkins University. 

Joe Murray ’16

Joe Murray grew up in Traverse City, MI before starting a transformative journey with U-M in 2012 that continues to this day. As a student, he held leadership positions with Circle K and FeelGood, and he served as the Graham Institute's Education Assistant during his time as a Graham Scholar.

He started working in the College of LSA's Advancement office after graduation in 2016, first as a College Connections Coordinator. Two years of traveling around the country, interviewing LSA alumni about their experiences, and sharing feedback with campus leaders inspired him to continue paying forward the opportunities that U-M had provided him. Since 2018, he has served on the college's major gifts fundraising team, partnering with donors to align their philanthropic goals with the needs of the college. After a decade in Ann Arbor, he moved to San Diego in 2022 to continue work with LSA alumni on the west coast. 

Lauren Murray, ‘17

Lauren Murray is a 2017 Scholar, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. from the PitE program with a concentration in environment education. As a student, Lauren partnered with Detroit Public Schools to provide environmental education after-school programs to students through the SustainED program, and served as the Graham Institute’s Education Assistant during her time as a Graham Scholar.

After graduation, Lauren spent a year serving with AmeriCorps in Seattle Public Schools through their City Year program before attending Vanderbilt to pursue her Master’s in Elementary Education. While at Vanderbilt, Lauren worked with a research team focusing on education equity within the Nashville metro area, and had original lesson plans published in Early Elementary Mathematics Lessons to Explore, Understand, and Respond to Social Injustice (Corwin Mathematics Series). Lauren is a kindergarten teacher in her hometown, Traverse City, MI.

Andrea Paine ’16

Andrea Paine was a 2016 Scholar who graduated from the University of Michigan with a BA in Public Policy as well as in 2022 with a MS in Environmental Planning and Policy. Andrea works on water restoration and advocacy across the Great Lakes basin, first as a Program Associate for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative and since 2018 as a Program Coordinator at the Huron River Watershed Council. Andrea originally hails from Manistee, Michigan and now lives in Ann Arbor. 

Hannah Sherman ’16

Hannah Sherman is a 2016 Scholar, and graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Earth and Environmental Science. Hannah was active in on-campus sustainability efforts during her time at Michigan, including starting a student organization that redesigned the recycling program at The Big House, and serving as the undergraduate representative on the President’s Committee on Waste Reduction. During her time as a Graham Scholar, Hannah completed fieldwork in Nepal, conducting water quality and contamination source analysis research within the Solukhumbu Valley. Her findings were published in the Mountain Research Development Journal. Hannah is currently the Sustainability Manager at Rothy’s, a footwear company focused on using recycled materials. Prior to Rothy’s, Hannah worked at PVH (Tommy Hilfiger / Calvin Klein), and World Wildlife Fund. Hannah is an Ann Arbor native, and currently lives in San Francisco, CA.

Nathan Shields, ‘15

Nathan graduated in 2015 with a B.S.E. in Computer Science and a minor in German. After graduating, he worked in tech at Cisco and Apple in the San Francisco Bay Area before moving back to Ann Arbor in 2021. He has worked in customer-facing and business-facing roles, and now works for Tinuiti, a marketing agency. Throughout his career, he's enjoyed mentoring new hires and early-career engineers. He lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and their two dogs.

Kara Steshetz ’20

Kara Steshetz is a 2020 Graham Scholar who graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S.E. in Chemical Engineering and PitE Environment minor. Kara currently works as a Product Development Engineer for Procter & Gamble in their Menstrual Care business championing for innovation that is better for the consumer and planet. During her time as a Graham Scholar, Kara studied the intersection of sustainability and business in both Iceland and Switzerland. Kara is originally from Southern California and currently resides in Cincinnati. 

Ayako Tischler ’20

Ayako Tischler graduated in 2020 with degrees in Economics and Environmental Studies, and was also in the Residential College. During her time as a Graham Scholar, she completed fieldwork in Japan and assisted the City of Ann Arbor with a Green Housing Initiative Pilot. Ayako currently works at Moonshot Missions, a nonprofit providing technical assistance to rural, tribal, and underserved water utilities across the United States. Outside of work, she is passionate about finding community with Asian Americans in the environmental movement. She hails from the Great Lakes State and currently resides in Washington, D.C.