The 2023/24 Green Campus Team

Kalea Conrad

Campus Reuse Team Lead

Hello! My name is Kalea Conrad and I use she/hers pronouns. I am a (Spring '22) graduate of Cal Poly's Environmental Management and Protection program and am beginning the second year of my master's program in Environmental Sciences & Management. I am from Hermosa Beach, California, a truly beautiful beach town that inspired my desire to pursue an environmental science education. I am intrigued and preoccupied by inadequate plastic & organic waste management systems, and will undoubtedly dedicate my career to improving state-wide waste management. I am working on my graduate thesis with Dr. Nicholas Williams, conducting ethnographic research on plastic mulch utility and waste in strawberry production. Ultimately, I plan to pursue a career in agricultural waste management, regenerative agricultural extension, or work in the Organic Standards realm.

Angelo LaCommare-Soto

Campus Reuse Team Member

Angelo is a fourth-year Marine Sciences major from San Francisco, CA. In his free time, Angelo enjoys traveling, playing baseball, going to the beach, listening to music, kayaking, hiking, cooking, and playing his flute and bass guitar. Traveling throughout the Americas and growing up along the California and Chile coasts fueled both his interest in marine sciences and his drive to understand the harmful environmental and social effects of climate change, both locally and globally. As a College Corps Fellow last year, Angelo helped Green Campus reestablish a graduation gown lending program and facilitate a partnership with Cal Poly Surplus to carry out periodic free item giveaways and auctions. Angelo will continue working on the Reuse team to help the campus community employ a more circular economy.

Carina Ballek

Campus Reuse Team Member

Carina is a third year Environmental Earth and Soil Science major from Berkeley, California. There, she was surrounded by various social movements that formed a crucial part of her core values. Combining her passion for the environment and music, she co-founded her high school’s first Musicians Against Climate Change pep band with which she led several trips to San Francisco climate marches. Before living in Berkeley, Carina lived her first nine years in Bavaria, Germany, where proper waste sorting and alternative transportation were integrated in society and part of her family culture. Biking has been her main mode of transport for years, before which she scootered or walked to school having been lucky to live close enough. Before college Carina was in band, jazz band, orchestra, theatre and choir, and at Cal Poly has played for Women’s Ultimate and been involved with Eco Reps and Zero Waste Club. As part of the Green Campus team, she’s excited to continue her work on lasting projects that will make Cal Poly a more sustainable institution.

Fiona Reyes

Energy and Water Conservation Team Lead

Fiona Reyes is a fourth year Environmental Management and Protection major with a minor in Sustainable Environments. This is her third and final year being a part of Green Campus. At home in Santa Clara, she loves hanging out with her family in their backyard with their two rescue dogs, one grumpy cat, and a flock of chickens. In her free time, Fiona likes going on hikes and spending time at the beach. She also enjoys cooking and baking, especially when she can use fresh ingredients from her backyard at home or from the farmers market. Fiona is interested in social justice and the intersectionality of many issues with environmentalism and sustainability. In the past she has explored some of these topics by interning at Santa Clara County's Water District or volunteering with a sea turtle research program in Costa Rica!

Esther Chou

Energy and Water Conservation Team Member

My name is Esther Chou (she/her/hers) and I am a fifth-year mechanical engineering student concentrating in mechatronics. I'm from Temple City, CA, which gives me convenient access to museums and arboretums in Los Angeles and the aquarium in Long Beach. At home, I find myself immerse in the incredible and diverse Asian food varieties the 626 offers. In my free time, I enjoy baking, reading, playing video games, and watching long YouTube videos. As a new member of the Green Campus team, I'm excited to expand my knowledge about energy and water conservation as well as actively contribute to sustainability initiatives.

Jhon Chavez-Matul

Energy and Water Conservation Team Member

Jhon Chavez-Matul is a fourth-year Environmental Engineering major and a Photography and Video minor from Los Angeles, CA. He particularly loves landscape and street photography and hopes to raise environmental awareness one picture at a time. He also enjoys listening to music, eating good food, and playing video games. As someone who regularly geeks out over and appreciates cool tech, he is determined to work toward a balance between innovation and sustainability. He is excited to work with the Green Campus Team to develop valuable skills and experience to build a healthier relationship between people and their environment. In the past, Jhon has also been involved with the Water-Energy Sustainability Training Team (WESTT).

Karen Morales De Leon

Energy and Water Conservation Team Member

Karen Morales De Leon is a fourth-year Mechanical Engineering major with a concentration in Mechatronics. Originally from Guatemala, Karen is a first-generation student from the Bay Area. In her free time, she enjoys going to the beach, drinking coffee, reading, and baking. She also has fun building in the machine shops and getting to understand how things work. She is excited to return to the Green Campus team and hopes to expand and learn about more sustainable solutions on campus.

Madi Bennett-Wells

Energy and Water Conservation Team Member

My name is Madi Bennett-Wells and I am a third-year Environmental Management and Protection major with a minor in Indigenous Studies in Natural Resources. I am from Sacramento, CA, and when at home, I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, going on walks, and attending Sacramento Kings basketball games. Growing up, I had opportunities to experience new places and cultures, which gave me an immense love for our environment. Now, I am eager to give back so people can learn to love the world as I was able to. I am also passionate about helping preserve the environment, coming up with ways to lessen human impacts, and making a more equitable world for all. I studied abroad in Iceland this past fall to study climate change and the Arctic, but I am excited to be back with Green Campus and continue to work towards a more sustainable future!

Haley Duran

Transportation Team Lead

Haley Duran (she/her/hers) is a third-year City and Regional Planning major with a minor in Environmental Studies and Ethnic Studies from Santa Ana, California. She is an animal lover and has two Sulcata tortoises, a chicken, and two dogs. Haley enjoys baking and implementing plant-based ingredients into her recipes. She is involved in several clubs and organizations on campus including Eco Reps, Disability Alliance, ASP, and TRIO Achievers. She has the pleasure of serving as the ASI Secretary of Sustainability. Being a part of Green Campus and College Corps is an opportunity for her to learn more about sustainable transportation and infrastructure, a career field she is considering entering. She is excited to be involved in creating a greener Cal Poly.

Daniel Avila

Transportation Team Member

Hello everybody, I am a 3rd year Agribusiness major from Los Angeles. My pronouns are he/him. I enjoy watching movies and doing outdoor activities such as off-roading and fishing. One of the reasons I was interested in working for sustainability was to create a cleaner environment and establish good habits for our future.

Felici Corpus

Transportation Team Lead

My name is Felici. I am a fourth-year Business Administration major concentrating in Information Systems from Fremont, California. I am a Transfer Peer Mentor at Orfalea College of Business, a Mustang Mentor for underrepresented minority groups, and a member of OCOB Transfer Students. Also, I am passionate about project management. In my free time, I love hiking, exploring art museums on random days, and going on long bike rides, especially when I visit home. Looking at the photos I took, I would often have thoughts of "what-ifs" about our nature and the environment and how it is going to look in the future if we humans exist unmindfully. These thoughts led to my interest in sustainability. I am grateful to be part of the Sustainable Transportation Team in making Cal Poly a greener campus.

Allie Mortensen

Visibility Team Lead

My name is Allie Mortensen and I am a fourth year environmental management and protection major with a sustainable environments minor. I am from Orange County and grew up camping in nearby national and state parks across California. My time spent in the outdoors has led me to realize the great adventures that different environments offer, which is a big driver for my passion in respecting our natural resources. This summer, I interned at the City of Yorba Linda in the Stormwater and Engineering Divisions mapping water-related concerns and overseeing the implementation of water quality mitigation measures. I have enjoyed furthering my sustainability journey at Cal Poly through leading the Eco Reps x Sustainability Roundtables Club and attending campus wide environmental events. Outside of school and work, I enjoy hiking, climbing, trying local coffee shops, and fostering dogs through SLO Animal Services. I am excited for the opportunity to spark a desire within others to have a role in mending some of the leading anthropogenic environmental issues we are facing.

Lilly Fulton

Visibility Team Member

My name is Lilly Fulton (she/her/hers), I am a third-year Environmental Management and Protection major, and I am from San Diego, California. In my free time, I enjoy being active and outdoors as much as possible. I love to go to the beach, surf, hike, read, and hang out with friends and family. I love to travel to new places and experience new cultures, which allows me to appreciate the environment surrounding me even more. I am very passionate about volunteering whenever I can to give back to the community, especially regarding helping the environment. I am excited to work with the Visibility team for Green Campus this year and assist in implementing sustainable actions on campus.

Lily Silverstein

Visibility Team Member

My name is Lily Silverstein (She/They). I am a sophomore Biology major with a passion for wildlife conservation. My involvement with community service opportunities in San Luis Obispo pushed me to want to do more on my campus. In addition to volunteering with Pacific Wildlife Care, I am eager to broaden my horizons in all areas of science. I am passionate about sustainability as it calls attention to everyday actions and their effect on long-term goals. A susceptibility to boredom has resulted in several hobbies including gymnastics, acting, debate, etc. With many of my interests involving photography and media literacy, I am excited to bring further awareness to the Green Campus Team's impacts on a more sustainable campus.

Kailey Latin

Graphic Designer

Kailey Latin (she/her) is a Graphic Communication major with a concentration in Graphics for Packaging. She discovered her love for graphic design while acquiring her associate degree in Communications at the College of San Mateo. Outside of Green Campus, Kailey is also on the student advisory board for her major and is the communication coordinator of the TAGA club chapter. Having grown up near San Francisco, she's always loved to hike, go to the beach, and exercise. In her free time, she also likes to cook, play tennis, and rewatch her favorite movies. She's been looking for ways to get more involved in sustainability efforts, and loves working for Green Campus because she feels like she's constantly absorbing more information on climate activism from the amazing staff while putting her talents toward tangible change.