Current Comms Studio Consultants
Candela Cerpa
Degree: Master of Environmental Management
Concentration: Terrestrial & Freshwater Environments; Environmental Analytics & Modeling
Consultant Strengths: Presentations, policy memos, research papers/reports, resumes, cover letters
About: Candela (she/her) is a third-year master’s student in Environmental Management at Duke and City and Regional Planning at UNC-Chapel Hill. Over the past year, Candela was the Editor-in-Chief at the Carolina Planning Journal, the oldest student-run planning publication in the U.S., where she expanded her editing and writing skills. Candela was born and raised in Uruguay, so she’s especially happy to support non-native English speakers with their writing.
Contact: candela.cerpa@duke.edu
Wynona Curaming
Degree: Master of Environmental Management
Concentrations: Environmental Analytics; Energy
Consultant Strengths: resumes, presentations, graphic design, policy memos/briefs
About: Wynona is a second-year Master of Environmental Management student with a special interest in decarbonizing food systems. She has served as a class assistant for a climate class and as a food-climate research assistant for the Duke World Food Policy Center. Prior to graduate school, she studied environmental science and public policy at Duke and Duke Kunshan University (DKU), where she co-led the publication of the university’s first sustainability report, and conducted program evaluation and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) for clients. She enjoys writing, editing, and preparing presentations and is eager to help others develop their communications.
Contact: wynonaeurj.curaming@duke.edu
Katie Maxwell
Degree: Master of Environmental Management
Primary Concentration: Environmental Economics & Policy
Secondary Concentration: Energy & Environment
Consultant Strengths: Presentations, Public Speaking, Resumes, Cover Letters, Policy Memos, Graphic Design
About: A second-year from the Chicago area, Katie is a passionate climate justice advocate with a background in nonprofit communications. Before starting her master’s program at Duke, Katie worked at a multifaith environmental justice nonprofit on their outreach and communications teams. She has experience creating an effective and engaging email strategy and highlighting impact through social media. Her keen eye and approachable nature help writers identify strategies to strengthen their storytelling in various mediums. Katie is a 2017 graduate of St. Olaf College where she completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies (Social Science emphasis) and German with a Management Studies concentration. A lifelong musician and avid reader, Katie enjoys singing in the Duke Chapel Choir. She loves hearing about what others are reading.
Courses Taken: ENVIRON 235/ENERGY 835 (Environmental Law); ENVIRON 577 (Global Environmental Politics); ENVIRON 592/PUBPOL 592 (U.N. Climate Change Negotiations Practicum)
Contact: katie.maxwell@duke.edu
Vanshika Mittal
Degree: Master of Environmental Management
Concentration: Energy; Environmental Analytics and Modeling
Consultant Strengths: Data Visualisation, Technical Writing, Research Papers and Reports, Project Proposals.
About: Vanshika is a second-year Master in Environmental Management student with a strong background in research and writing. Prior to Duke, she worked with Adam Smith International where she drafted technical proposals for international development projects funded by DFID, USAID and DFAT. Additionally, she served as the lead editor and senior research analyst for a think tank in India, during which she published research papers in peer-reviewed journals such as Cities and Asian Ethnicity. Vanshika has extensive experience in grant writing, editing and communication and is eager to contribute to the Communications Studio.
Contact: vanshika.mittal@duke.edu
Faculty Advisor
Dr. Kerry Ossi-Lupo
Lecturing Fellow in Communications
Contact: kossi@duke.edu