The NYSCHECK Summer Academy views advocacy as the vehicle for using our collective voice, knowledge, expertise, and passion to improve environmental health outcomes for every child in New York State. The overarching goal of the advocacy projects is to gain experience working as a team and integrating public health concepts into the design of public health interventions and advocacy strategies that address a specific aspect of climate and health.  Students explore upstream public health interventions that have the potential to improve children’s health at the population level.

In 2025, student-led advocacy projects focused on the unique ways in which climate change impacts the health of children in urban and rural communities across New York State. Under the mentorship of NYSCHECK Environmental Health Scholars and Summer Academy alumni, students worked in small groups to apply principles of environmental health and climate risk communication to effective advocacy. Projects explored health impacts of coastal (New York City & Long Island) and inland (Western New York & Rochester) flooding, wildfire smoke (Capital & Central regions), and insect-borne disease (Hudson Valley). Projects culminated in an educational presentation for New York State legislators that integrated personal narratives with publicly available data and proposed evidence-based adaptation and mitigation strategies aimed at improving the health of communities.

We are appreciative of New York State Assembly Members Levenberg, Lunsford, Meeks, and Schiavoni, Senators Baskin, Brouk, and Fahy, and New York City Council Member Aviles and their staff members for attending the showcase and showing support for the students.

Faculty Facilitators:
Dr. Amy Brown, MD MBe FAAP, Children’s Environmental Health Center of the Hudson Valley
Dr. Sarah Evans, Phd, MPH, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Dr. Sandy Jee, MD MPH, Finger Lakes Children’s Environmental Health Center

 

NSA Coordinator:
Olivia Malvasi, MPH

 

Environmental Health Scholar Mentors:
Emma Chang, MPH RN (NYC)
Kelly Galloway, MPH (Albany)
Christy Kim, MD (Hudson Valley)
Zachary Messer, MPH (Hudson Valley)
Michelle Larimone MPH (Buffalo)
Rachel Roberson, MPH CHES  (Buffalo)

 

Alumni Facilitator Mentors:
Melissa Lass
Luftia Choudhury, MPH
Hannah Steinthal
Heeya Mody
Caitlin Harris
Mackenzie Steen, MS

Advocacy Group 1 – Western NY and Finger Lakes – Flooding and Sewage Overflow

Facilitators: Mackenzie Steen, MS / Luftia Choudhury,  MPH / Rachel Roberson MPH CHES

Participants:

Erica Boano – Finger Lakes – Binghamton University
Shelby Connor – Finger Lakes – Cornell University
Laura Esteban – Hudson Valley – High School
Ava Fratangelo – Finger Lakes – Elmira College
Simrah Hassan – Hudson Valley – New York University
Imaan Hussain – Hudson Valley – NYMC
Edward Ko – Finger Lakes – University of Rochester
Chelsea Lim – Long Island – High School
Charis Marvel – Buffalo – Masters SUNY University at Buffalo
Chantelle Millwood – Buffalo – Jacobs School of Medicine
Srilakshmi Nair – NYC – Sophie Davis, CUNY School of Medicine
Chelsey Udoji – Buffalo – Jacobs School of Medicine

Advocacy Group 2 – Long Island and NYC – Costal Flooding

Facilitators: Emma Chang, RN, MPH / Caitlin Harris / Heeya Mody

Participants:

Khushboo Agarwal – NYC – Masters – CUNY School of Public Health
Maisy Aronson – NYC – University of Massachusetts Amherst
Aleya Bailey – Long Island – High School
Adriana Candia – NYC – Hunter College
Priya Chacko – NYC – Sophie Davis, CUNY School of Medicine
Oliver Hecht –  NYC – High School
Sena Knopf – Long Island – High School
Carmen Muñoz-Medrano – NYC –  Hispanic Federation
Patrick Morris –  Hudson Valley – NYMC
Radhika Patel – Hudson Valley Medical – NYMC
Padmanayakege Rupasinghe – NYC – Masters Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Delia Russel – NYC – Brooklyn College
Ali Syed –  Long Island – High School
Evelyn Worcester – NYC – Kenyon College
Annabel Wu – NYC – High School
Irene Maria Zografos –  Long Island – High School

Advocacy Group 3 – Central and Capital Region – Wildfires and AQ

Facilitators: Luftia Choudhury, MPHl / Kelly Galloway, MPH / Melissa Lass

Participants:

Shahd Madi Abbas – Qatar – Medical Student – Hamad Medical Corp
Na’Juray Alexander-Dunlap – Central – Syracuse University
Shannon Arana – Central – High School
Emily Cranmer – Central – Masters – SUNY Upstate Medical University
Juhuma Deba – NYC – High School Dropped?
Lilah Glassman – NYC – High School
Magdala Klein – Central – SUNY Environmental Science and Forestry
Aashna Pawar – Long Island – Tufts University
Serena Persaud – NYC – Medical Student – St. George University
Brandon Roman – Hudson Valley – High School
Leo Silverman – Hudson Valley – Bates College
Adrianna Vidot – Capital – University at Albany
Maryam Washwell – Hudson Valley – High School

Advocacy Group 4 – Hudson Valley – Vector-Borne Illness & Ending

Facilitators: Hannah Steinthal / Christy Kim, MD / Zach Messer, MPH

Participants:

Emily Balchan – Hudson Valley – High School
Ketan Deola – Hudson Valley – Binghamton University
Nicole Elhonsi – Hudson Valley – NYMC
Amanda Gilsten – Hudson Valley – NYMC
Aaron Haynos – Hudson Valley – Purdue University
Chase Keller – Hudson Valley – High School
Ashley Madden – Hudson Valley – Spelman College
Isabella Manole – Hudson Valley – Fairfield University
Emma Milmore – Hudson Valley – High School
Adam Nack – Hudson Valley – Binghamton University
Talia Pollack – Hudson Valley – Binghamton University
Finnley Wiley – Hudson Valley – High School
Aidan Yen – Hudson Valley – Cornell University