SPH Students Support Sustainability Research.
A group photo of the 2026 BU IGS summer fellows, including SPH students Feven Lencha (back row, first on left), Sharon Casey (back row, first on right), and Grace Betts (front row, second from left): Photo: Alexa Kwon, BU Institute for Global Sustainability
SPH Students Support Sustainability Research
As graduate student research fellows with the BU Institute for Global Sustainability, Grace Betts, Sharon Casey, and Feven Lencha spent ten weeks of the summer conducting original research focused on fostering environmental sustainability and social welfare.
Every year, Boston University’s Institute for Global Sustainability (IGS) invites a small number of BU graduate student researchers to its Graduate Student Summer Fellows Program. These fellows, who come from diverse backgrounds and fields, are united in their focus on fostering environmental sustainability and social welfare.
IGS provides funding, faculty mentorship, and professional development for its fellows to further expand their research. The program culminates in a presentation at the end of the program, where each student shares the progress they’ve made during their fellowship with each other and the broader BU community.
Grace Betts, environmental health PhD student and IGS fellow, presenting summer 2026. Photo: Alexa Kwon, BU Institute for Global Sustainability
Sharon Casey, environmental health PhD student and IGS fellow, presenting summer 2026. Photo: Alexa Kwon, BU Institute for Global Sustainability
Feven Lencha, MPH student and IGS fellow, presenting summer 2026. Photo: Alexa Kwon, BU Institute for Global Sustainability
With a total of eleven researchers across five colleges, the cohort of fellows for this summer is the largest to date. Through the course of ten weeks, the fellows engaged with each other’s research through various seminars and workshops. Additionally, they also formed meaningful connections with other student researchers through a joint session with the Pardee Center Summer Fellows and a field trip to The Trustees of Reservations to collaborate with their Outdoor Ambassadors. In the process, the fellows discovered that although their research is rooted in different disciplines, they often complement each other in some way, whether it is for their common subject focus on energy efficiency, joint goals in working on a specific and understudied aspect, or shared concerns for urgent solutions. As such, every researcher supported by the fellowship was able to grow and develop a more comprehensive perspective for their work.
To learn more about the research that Grace Betts, Sharon Casey, and Feven Lencha conducted as part of their summer fellowships, read the full story on the BU Institute for Global Sustainability’s website.