Fall 2021
Halima Salah
Halima is a PhD student in Civil Engineering. In 2017, Halima completed her BSc. in Civil Engineering with a minor in Environmental and Water Engineering from the American University of Sharjah (AUS) in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Her undergraduate and profession experiences prior to graduate school were in the Water Resources and Wastewater Treatment fields, in the U.S, UAE and Qatar.She currently works as a research assistant at the Huang research lab, where they are modeling PM2.5 concentrations over Michigan. Halima is looking forward to continuing research related to air pollution and human health as a PhD student and a new T-RUST fellow. Her passion in STEM-education has driven her to work as a part-time science educator at the Michigan Science Center. In her free time Halima can be found painting and illustrating.
Samantha Pickering
Samantha completed her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies at the University of Michigan - Dearborn in 2015, where she focused much of her studies on the solid waste issues in Detroit. Since that time, she has worked with several environmental grassroots organizations in Detroit, such as Green Living Science and Zero Waste Detroit. She also serves on the board of directors for Michigan Natives and volunteers with Voices for Earth Justice. Her passions are environmental education and community engagement in Detroit. As a T-RUST fellow, she hopes to research how mindfulness practices can support behavior change in relation to waste reduction in an urban setting. In her free time she enjoys hiking, reading, practicing and teaching yoga, and spending time by the Detroit River or any of our Great Lakes.
Ashley LaCroix
Ashley LaCroix is a Ph.D. student studying Evolutionary & Organismal biology. She recently received her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science from Wayne State University. As an undergraduate, Ashley began studying harmful algal blooms and their effects on invasive species. She is excited to work closely with other members of T-RUST, as interdisciplinary studies across different fields are her favorite! In her free time, Ashley enjoys gardening, going to the gym, and playing outside with her daughter.
Abigail Pointer
Abby is a first-year graduate student pursuing a Master’s in Communication. In 2020, Abby graduated from Michigan State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Fisheries and Wildlife. Her studies were concentrated in Conservation Biology, and she earned a minor in Science, Technology, Environment, and Public Policy, as well as Environmental Sustainability. During her undergraduate career, Abby worked as an outreach and engagement coordinator for a community-based conservation initiative, Snares to Wares, where she became passionate about environmental communication. As a T-RUST fellow, Abby is looking forward to finding opportunities for conservation and climate change mitigation in urban ecological systems and shaping how we communicate science to our communities in order to foster understanding and support of environmental goals. Abby enjoys spending time outside, practicing yoga, camping, working on her naturalist skills, and keeping up with her friends.
Jared Salin
Jared is from College Station, Texas, and has had a fascination and fondness for insects since birth. He earned his B.S. in Entomology at Texas A&M University, where he was able to participate in several student research projects, only to find they usually involve the control of ‘pest’ insects. It was during this time that he realized he wanted to play a larger part in combatting the ecological crisis and independently discovered his passion for edible insects as a nutritious and sustainable form of animal protein, already consumed by over two billion people. In hopes to push the acceptability of edible insects forward, he is currently pursuing a PhD in Anthropology under Julie Lesnik. Jared’s strong feelings towards ecological justice and helping to develop a circular economy are what led him to becoming a new T-RUST student. In his free time, Jared enjoys staying active with cycling, exploring nature, or experimenting with new insect cuisines.
Sarah Black
Sarah Black is a PhD student in the Department of Biological Sciences. Her research interests center around insect ecology, community assembly, and pollutant tracing. Sarah received her Bachelor’s from Valparaiso University in Biology and Spanish in 2015, and a Master’s in Plant Biology from Southern Illinois University in 2018. While at Southern Illinois, she studied insect diversity, herbivory, and recruitment in tallgrass prairie restorations at Konza Biological Station. More recently, Sarah worked as a federal regulator, reviewing construction on the Great Lakes for environmental compliance. Her hobbies include long distance running, traveling, and trivia nights.
