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 student advocacy projects is to gain experience working as a team and integrating public health concepts into the design of solutions that address the impacts of climate and the environment on health.  Students explore upstream public health interventions that have the potential to improve children’s health at the population level.

In 2026, student-led advocacy projects focused on the unique ways in which climate and environment impact 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 focused on specific regions of New York State and explored health impacts related to a diverse range of factors including data centers (New York City & Long Island), pesticides (Western New York & Finger Lakes), medical waste (Capital & Central regions), and waste incineration (Hudson Valley). Projects culminated in an educational presentation for New York State legislators, NYSCHECK faculty, and partners 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 Senators Baskin, Brouk, Harckham, Martinez, Mayer, Myrie, and Stewart-Cousins and Assembly Members Barrett, Lunsford, Shimsky, and Syegh 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
Coordination and Operations
  • John Culhane, BA, IT Lead/Operations/Communications
  • Olivia Malvasi, MPH
Environmental Health Scholar Mentors:
  • Steve Goldstein MD – Long Island Children’s Environmental Health Center
  • Caroline Kirby MD, MPH – Finger Lakes Children’s Environmental Health Center
  • Nadya Rivera Rivera MPH – NYC Children’s Environmental Health Center

Alumni Facilitator Mentors:

  • Erica Boano BA, Binghamton University
  • Isabella Manole BS, Fairfield University
  • Aashna Pawar,  Huntington Breast Cancer Action Coalition, Undergraduate at Tufts University
  • Leo Silverman, Undergraduate at Bates College
  • Mackenzie Steen MS, Medical Student at Trouro College
  • Sheyla Zakashansky BS, Tufts University

Advocacy Group 1 – Hudson Valley  – Incinerators

Facilitators: Steve Goldstein MD / Leo Silverman, Undergraduate at Bates College

Participants:

Jace Power – LI/HBCAC – Walt Whitman High School
Conor Matz – HV/Westchester – New York Medical College
Eryanna Decka – HV/Westchester – Croton Harmon High School
Kenna Pollard – HV/Westchester – New York Medical College
Asadullah (Asad) Sadiq – LI/Northwell – Walt Whitman High School
Brenea Aji – LI/Northwell – Herricks High School
Emma Zhuang – LI/Northwell – Herricks High School
Sanaya Mistry – NYC/Sinai – Columbia Science Honors
Angelique Andrade – NYC/Sinai – Rutgers University
Mary Bisongno –  LI/Northwell – St. Anthony’s High School

Advocacy Group 2 – Long Island and NYC – Data Centers

Facilitators: Nadya Rivera Rivera, MPH / Aashna Pawar, Undergraduate at Tufts University / Sheyla Zakashansky BS, Tufts University

Participants:

Drew Siegel – LI/Northwell – Roslyn High School
Ella Hong – LI/Northwell – Herricks High School
Darren Cui – NYC – CUNY School of Medicine
Francisco Javier Marchand – NYC/Sinai – South Bronx Unite
Harpinder Kaur, MPH – NYC/Sinai – New York University
Isabella Zheng – NYC/Sinai – Brooklyn Technical High School
Mitali Choudhary – NYC/Sinai – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Nadezda (Nadia) Poliakova, RN – NYC/Sinai – Hunter College, HBSON
Rebeca Sabnam – NYC/Sinai – Cafeteria Culture, NY County Defender Services
Selena Zheng – NYC/Sinai – Staten Island Technical High School

Advocacy Group 3 – Central and Capital Region – Medical Waste

Facilitators: Mackenzie Steen MS, Medical Student at Trouro College / Isabella Manole BS, Fairfield University

Participants:

Isabel Allen – NYC/Sinai – The Dalton School
Maleah Alleyne – HBCAC – Walt Whitman High School
Isabella David – HBCAC – Walt Whitman High School
Avenue Willowood – Central/Syracuse – YMCA Afterschool
Krishan Guzzo – Capital/Albany – Albany Medical College
Kamryn Kershaw – Capital/Albany – University at Albany
Eva Kowalsky – HV/Westchester – New York Medical College
Serena Mohamed – NYC/Sinai – Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Savita Prasad – NYC/Sinai – Geisinger Commonwealth School of Medicine
Sooa Tani – New Jersey – Northern Valley Regional High School at Demarest
Erica Wong – Central/Syracuse – Binghamton University
Julia Zhu – HV/Westchester – New York Medical College

Advocacy Group 4 – Western NY and Finger Lakes – Pesticides 

Facilitators: Caroline Kirby MD, MPH / Erica Boano BA, Binghamton University

Participants:

Amber Albert – WNY –University at Buffalo
Vaishali Gupta – WNY – University at Buffalo
Yugma Pandya, MBBS, MPH – NYC/Sinai – Icahn school of Medicine at Mount sinai
Aryana Powell – Finger Lakes – Rochester Ecology Partners
Elizabeth Prasad – Finger Lakes – Sutherland High School
Nicole Rabadi – HV/Westchester – New York Medical College
Dhirren Rajarathinam – Finger Lakes – University of Rochester
MacCrea Reed – Finger Lakes – Ithaca College
Aditi Shah – Finger Lakes – University of Rochester
Kiana – Soeung – HV/Westchester – NYMC
Areeba (Amina) Zaman – LI/HBCAC – Half Hollow Hills High School East