Through its Environmental Fellowship program, the Delaware Environmental Institute (DENIN) has supported 60 doctoral students conducting environmentally and societally beneficial research. DENIN is pleased to welcome its newest cohort of Environmental Fellows, six PhD students spanning the technical and social sciences who are tackling critical challenges in areas including pollution, climate adaptation, and sustainable agriculture.

• Karlyn Allenbrand (history) is exploring the history of solar technology and how it continues to shape societal perceptions of energy transitions and environmental concerns.
• Anmol Arora (disaster science and management) is advocating for disaster policy reassessments that reduce frontline communities’ exposure to the harshest effects of climate change.
• Shem Elias (plant and soil sciences) is engineering environmentally responsible approaches to agricultural disease management, reducing reliance on harmful agrochemicals.
• Jacqueline Carroll (bioinformatics and computational biology) is conducting research on fish consumption and bioaccumulation in the Delaware Bay to inform state advisories on PFAS ingestion.
• Ronald Trenchi (political science and international relations) is evaluating the conditions that precede popular, effective environmental policies, aiding the development of future climate initiatives.
• John Uponi (geography and spatial sciences) is developing strategies for data-scarce regions worldwide to expand food production in an environmentally sustainable manner.

Over the next year, the 2026 cohort will work on DENIN initiatives while participating in opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration, professional development, and science communication. Read more about the Fellows initiatives on DENIN's website.