Leadership
Current Executive Board (2017-2018)
Glorie Aldana | Co-President
MEM - Environmental Economics & Policy '18
I'm originally from Miami, where I grew up in a low-income Latinx neighborhood.I received a BA in global environmental change and sustainability from Johns Hopkins University in 2016. At JHU, I worked with Engineers Without Borders on a solar-powered water pump in the rural highlands of Guatemala for an indigenous community. Now I'm studying environmental economics and policy with a focus on international development at Duke. Going forward, I hope to use my education to empower ethnic minorities and women in Latin America through energy and water access.
Devyn Parks | Co-President
MEM - Business & Environment '18
I'm a California native, Los Angeles born and bred, and I received my Bachelor's in Environment, Economics, and Politics with a concentration in Environmental Science and a minor in Hispanic Studies. After graduating undergrad I found my way to Spain and worked in the Madrid public school system for a year then came back to the states for the MEM program. As the environment and sustainability have always been a passion of mine, my goal is to work in the private sector and help with corporate sustainability and sustainable development.
Paula Chavez | Beaufort Representative
MEM - Coastal Environmental Management '18
I was born in Bucaramanga, Colombia, a medium size city where I lived almost my whole life. Then, I pursued a degree in Biology at Universidad de los Andes in Bogotá, Colombia. During my time as an undergrad, I traveled to different places in the country to learn about its biodiversity, and became really interested in marine biology, so I decided to focus my research in marine mammals. After graduating I had the chance to work in a environmental agency in Colombia, working mainly with rural communities. Now, as a MEM student I expect to do more research focused on marine mammals, but I also want to learn how to work with communities in order to improve conservation measures in Colombia.
Roosevelt Mesa | Beaufort Representative
MEM - Coastal Environmental Management '18
I was born and raised in Colombia. In 2015 I got a degree in Biology from Universidad de los Andes, in Bogota. During the last years of my undergrad studies, I got deeply involved with the ecology and conservation of marine ecosystems and marine mammals. I became part of different research groups working with population genetics and with the communities that interact with these organisms. Now, as a MEM student at Duke I want to take my scientific based experience and join it with the ecologic and social factors involved in the management of ocean ecosystems to contribute to the improvement of the environmental development and conservation in my home country.
Ricardo Zaragoza | Treasurer
MEM - Energy & Environment '18
I'm originally from Uruapan, Michoacan in Mexico, where I had the opportunity to grew up in a small city surrounded by nature but also by poverty. Then I moved to Mexico City to do my undergrad and I received a BA in Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. My professional experience includes research in the academy, economic consultancy in the private sector, and design of social development policies for the Mexican Government. My interest lies in the access to clean energy and its relation with poverty, energy efficiency, clean energy, Sustainable Systems and Life Cycle Analysis. My goal is to contribute to afford access to clean energy for impoverished people and reduce the environmental footprint of humans.
Vanessa Ferrero | Website Manager
MEM - Energy & Environment '18
I was born in Maracaibo, Venezuela and my family immigrated to the United States when I was six years old. I spent four years in Florida before moving to Arizona, where my family finally settled. I graduated from Arizona State University in 2016, receiving a BSE in Chemical Engineering and a BA in French with a minor in Italian and a certificate in Energy and Sustainability. From there I came straight to Duke for the MEM program, and I want to work on renewable energy development in West African countries— this will give me the opportunity to apply my technical background and my language skills to an issue I’m passionate about: energy access.
Jonathan Espitia | Website Manager
MEM - Business & Environment '20
I was born and raised in New York. My family came to the United States from the Dominican Republic. I graduated from Yale University in 2010, receiving a BA in Economics. Before coming to Duke, I worked as a chef in New York City and as an anthropologist in Peru. I'm passionate about food systems and sustainability and I hope to use the knowledge I gain at Duke for the greater good of the Earth.