Emeritus Leadership
Executive Board Members 2016-2017
Lili Pita | Co-President
Chair of Professional Development
MEM - Environmental Economics & Policy '17
I'm the daughter of two Cuban immigrants - born in Miami, FL, raised in Raleigh, NC – giving me the privilege of having two hometowns. I went to undergrad at NC State University where I studied Environmental Technology and Management. After graduation, I worked for three years as a Project Manager on a USDA biofuels grant. I came to the Nicholas School Fall 2015 and have been pursuing my passion of corporate sustainability. I look forward to graduating so that I can get out in the workforce and help companies realize they can help protect the environment and lessen their footprint all while maintaining or increasing their bottom line.
Diego Calderón-Arrieta | Co-President
Chair of Social Programming
MEM - Ecosystem Science & Conservation '17
I was born in Tampa, FL, and moved to Mobile, AL – which I consider now my hometown – at the age of six. I received a BA in Economics at Rhodes College in Memphis in 2015. I came to appreciate the environment when I began hiking in the local national parks and decided to pursue environmental science at the Nicholas School. Now I am thoroughly-enthralled with environmental justice and plan on serving as both a mapping & science consultant for nonprofit, gov’t, and international organizations.
Brian Wong | Admissions Liaison
MEM - Global Environmental Change '18
I was born into a Chinese immigrant family in Canada, but lived in Tennessee, Florida, and Hong Kong as well. My studies led me to Nashville, TN where I received a Bachelors in Business Administration (BBA) in Accounting and minor in Social Justice Studies. I worked five years in the Nashville non-profit sector predominantly in social work, affordable housing, and sustainable agriculture. The latter illuminated not only my access to ecosystem services, but also the disparities of environmental benefits distributions. I hope to use my MEM education towards inclusive management & policies that increase environmental equity, particularly for poverty alleviation.
