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Student Nurse Committee

ANHE Student Nurse Committee

The ANHE Student Nurse Committee is a unique opportunity for pre-licensure nursing students to explore their passion around environmental health, to engage in peer learning and sharing, and to develop leadership skills in environmental health nursing.  Student nurses are selected to serve on the committee for a one-year term. As part of their participation in the committee, students work on a project with their fellow committee members. 

Meet the Student Nurse Committee Members

Scarlett Russell

Scarlett Russell lives in Oakland California and is currently pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at California State University East Bay. She was elected to the role of Fundraising Director for CSUEB chapter of East Bay Student Nurses Association and is actively involved with the Dismantling Racism in Nursing Education Task Force. Scarlett is passionate about the intersectionality of Environmental Justice, Social Justice, and Health Justice. She has a background in Community Organizing from canvassing to organizing large marches, press conferences and lobby days. She has organized with Texas Campaign for the Environment, Clean Water Action, T.E.J.A.S. Barrios, 350.org and others. Scarlett aspires to attend grad school to earn her N.P. and is looking forward to crafting her nursing career to humbly serve her community both clinically and through advocating for systemic changes to close equity gaps.

Kiara Romero

Kiara Romero is from Salt Lake City, UT and currently a pre-nursing student pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Utah. She has always had a special interest in environmental health spurred by the Salt Lake City winters, the unhealthy inversion, and very low air quality they bring. She saw firsthand how pollutants can affect one’s health. She also has interests in food sustainability and promoting healthy lifestyles in general. She is excited to learn and work on sustainable projects that will help facilitate healthy environments for both the nursing profession and the community as a whole. In her free time, she enjoys playing her instruments and spending time outdoors with her family, friends and two dogs, Stella and Ginger.

Tucker Richards

Tucker Richards is a nursing student at Western Carolina University in Asheville, North Carolina. Tucker is passionate about addressing the social determinants of health and he is the co-founder of his university’s chapter of the Health Equity Circle. Before deciding to pursue nursing, Tucker worked for several years as an organizer, first as a labor union organizer and later political campaigns. His hobbies include eating pizza, listening to reggaeton, and going on long trail runs in the mountains.

Ashtyn Pierre

Ashtyn (she/her) is a junior nursing student and member of the Diversity Committee at the University of Holy Cross. She is also a senior resident assistant and President of the Resident Housing Association. Ashtyn is very excited to be a part of something bigger than herself and to see how the work of the ANHE Student Nurse Committee work will impact nursing.

Cameron Grund

Cameron Grund (they/she) is a Bachelor of Science in Nursing student with a minor in Public Health at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Cameron is passionate in planetary health, social justice, and interprofessional collaboration. Cameron has clinical experience working at a summer camp in New Hampshire teaching young girls about their health and wellbeing, working in research in the School of Nursing to find an innovative solution to Mild Cognitive Impairment, and also has experience volunteering at a local Minneapolis non-profit clinic serving those who readily get lost in our for-profit medical system. Cameron, when not fighting for a better tomorrow, loves to go on walks with their friends and family, pick up trash, embroider, longboard, play the mandolin, and rock climb. Cameron (or Cam now that you know each other a little more) is so excited to be a part of this innovative group of world changers.

Jasmine Duong

Jasmine Duong is in her 4th year at Sacramento State, majoring in nursing! She hopes to become a nurse, specializing in either geriatrics or pediatrics. Jasmine is a current member of CNSA and is pleased to be part of the 2022 ANHE committee. Environmental issues have always been a concern of hers, so she is thrilled to learn more about the environment, and it’s impacts on our health. She looks forward to making a positive impact on our community.

Cristina Baglio

Cristina Baglio, BSN, RN, EMT graduated from nursing school earlier in 2020 after 3 years working in Emergency Medical Services for Honolulu’s 911 system. She is currently pursuing a master’s degree in Advanced Population Health Nursing from University of Hawai’i at Manoa while cultivating her passion for environmental health. As Cristina seeks out emergency and critical care New Grad RN positions in New York, she continues to maintain a special focus for opportunities to improve sustainable practices in her future healthcare setting.

Jena Blum

Jena Blum is a nursing student at Thomas Jefferson School of Nursing receiving her second bachelor’s degree. She, previously, received a public health degree from Temple University. During her first degree she advocated for Asbestos and Lead remediation projects in the Philadelphia school district. She also volunteered to educate her college campus on climate policies, register new voters, published letters to the editors and spoke for local programming on the impact of different climate policies on the city of Philadelphia, where she lives. In her free time, she travels, hikes and swims as much as possible, during which she never forgets to pay her carbon tax.

Emily Brewer

Emily Brewer is from Springfield, Illinois and currently is a sophomore at Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois, pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a minor in Spanish. At Millikin, she is a member of Pi Beta Phi Fraternity for Women, the National Student Nurses Association, and a Supplemental Instruction Leader on campus. Emily loves collaborating with others and enjoys reading and crafting in her spare time. She is so excited to broaden her environmental health education and teach others about the importance of protecting our environment as nurses.

Gabrielle Diaz

Gabrielle Diaz is a senior nursing student at Regis University. She desires to work in community health and to increase accessibility to healthcare services. She is passionate about sustainability and environmental practices in relation to public health.

Kateri Dir-Munoz

Kateri Dir-Munoz is a Senior Nursing Student at Regis University in Denver, CO. She is originally from Portland, OR and has a passion for intertwining her nursing education with social justice topics. She is an active member of her university’s sustainability club, and currently lives in an intentional community through her university that surrounds social justice issues and incorporates environmental practices into their weekly focus. She is also the president of her university chapter of the National Student Nurses Association and is excited to take leadership one step forward with this committee. She is excited to explore ideas of sustainability and waste in today’s healthcare system and compare current hospital situations with other nursing students. She sees COVID 19 as a time where hospitals are reusing supplies more than ever before, which offers an exciting open door for more ideas of sustainability. She’s looking forward to an exciting year of collaboration, and learning!

Lois Ezebuiro

Lois Ifechukwuamaka Ezebuiro is a 5th year nursing student at the University of Ibadan, Nigeria whose passion for climate change, health and gender equality has driven her volunteering endeavors. She is the Team Lead of the Publications/Blogging department at the Slum and Rural Health Initiative Network and the cofounder of the GalesActGreen initiative which strives to engender climate consciousness among nurses as well as nursing students, as ambassadors of both environmental and human health.

Abdiel Gómez Santo

Abdiel Gómez Santos currently lives in Caguas, Puerto Rico. He is a nursing student at the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus. He has great interest in environmental health because it is related to the physical, chemical and biological factors of a human being that can predispose him to the development of multiple diseases. That is why his has a great focus and interest on the prevention of diseases that are related to the environment, global warming, and the changes in the climate and ecosystems caused by us humans. Working with Professor Felix Roman, an ANHE Fellow, he implemented a “Flag Program” with the purpose of training teachers, parents and children on how the air quality is that day to reduce absences to the classroom and in workplaces. His main objective would be to develop more being part of this team by acquiring new knowledge about the importance of the role of nursing in environmental health.

Elizabeth Hansel

Elizabeth Rose Hansel is from the Twin Cities and she is currently a nursing student at the University of Minnesota. Growing up, Elizabeth spent her summers in Minnesota’s Boundary Water Canoe Area. Her natural love of the wilderness made her recognize the importance of keeping our earth clean and healthy. In addition, Elizabeth became increasingly concerned about the impact of the environment on people’s health after two of her closest family members were diagnosed with chronic lung diseases. One of Elizabeth’s many goals as a student nurse is to promote healthy living and a cleaner planet for future generations. In her free-time, Elizabeth is politically active. She was elected as a national delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2020. Additionally, she has worked for the Democratic Party of Georgia as well as various political campaigns in Minnesota. Most recently, Elizabeth was appointed to serve on the Minnesota DFL’s State Central Committee and the DFL’s Platform, Issues, and Legislative Affairs Committee.

Lori Herrick

Lori Herrick is a nursing student at Mercy College of Ohio who will be graduating in December 2021 with her ASN. She previously earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Accounting and has worked for state and local government agencies for more than a decade before deciding to follow a calling into a new profession. Her ultimate career goal is to work in maternal/fetal medicine or mental health with an advanced practice license. Lori has had a passion for environmental topics since middle school and has worked in local and regional efforts such as pushing for labeling of GMO foods and more widespread recycling programs. She has also volunteered her time with the March of Dimes and Girl Scouts. Lori spends any available free time with her husband, two daughters, and their many pets including dogs, chickens, sugar gliders, and ducks.

Andrea Lapuz

Andrea Lapuz is a fourth-year nursing student at San Diego State University in San Diego, California. She is the Community Health Co-Director for the SDSU Student Nurses Association where she educates her community about health disparities and health promotion. As a nursing student, she is drawn to the intersections between climate, health, and social justice. She hopes to create space in the nursing profession for environmental justice and advocacy to improve the health of our planet and its people.

Elizabeth Okoye

Elizabeth is a fourth-year student nurse with special interests in Public Health and an enthusiasm for truly representing her profession to the world. She is a professional community volunteer and a passionate sustainable development goals (SDGs) advocate. Elizabeth looks forward to combining her passion for community service and her professional skills as a student nurse in contributing her quota towards fostering the progress of the Student Nurse Committee of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments and ultimately making the world a better place to live in.

Naomi Pastrana

Naomi Pastrana is a Canadian nursing student getting her bachelor’s at McGill University. The path she took to where she is today was not traditional and was mostly in the woods. And by that, she means that her passion for healthcare mostly came about from her summers as a canoe-camping guide in the backcountry of Quebec and northern Ontario. As a Wilderness First Responder and First aid instructor, Naomi was strongly animated by the adrenaline and purpose she felt while helping others in remote settings. Also, there has always been a part of her, encouraged by the powerful women in her life, that knows she needs to speak up when something is not right. Advocacy combined with healthcare equals nursing. From this conclusion, she finds fulfillment in her choice of career. However, as a young person, a queer Latina and woman of Jewish ancestry, she sees that her true fulfillment is choked up in the environmental and social inequalities of the world. Something students are inheriting. Therefore, her true priority and passion is environmental and social justice. This semester, a fellow nursing student and Naomi created McGill Nurses for Environmental Care. She thinks nurses are both responsible and in a prime position to work on these issues alongside those who have been fighting for decades and centuries. The future is a source of fluctuating anxiety for Naomi, but when she is working alongside others to make a future we can look forward to, it helps.

Maria San Emeterio

Maria is in her last year of the BSN program at UW-Madison. She was born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, and is hoping to move to the Denver area next year for her first job as a registered nurse. In her free time, she absolutely loves being outside, which is why she is so excited to be a part of this organization. She has a lot of gratitude for our beautiful planet and is looking forward to learning about ways that nurses can lead positive environmental change and is excited to work with people who share similar interests. Besides this, some of her other interests include: cooking, spending time with friends, listening to hip-hop, shopping, stretching, and her cat.

Talya Briana

Talya is a 25 year old nursing student at MGH-IHP in Boston, MA. She is currently studying to become an FNP. Previously, she studied Biology and worked as a Research Assistant through undergrad at University of Maine Farmington and post-grad at BWH/Harvard School of Public Health. Outside of Talya’s studies, she is a yoga instructor and passionate yogi! She enjoys living mindfully, naturally, and eco-friendly! Her ultimate goal would be to someday open her own practice that combines holistic health practices (yoga, massage, meditation, reiki, etc.) with modern medicine. Talya would also like to continue to support underserved communities through non-profits, like MEDLIFE as she will be doing this January in Peru. She believes in spreading environmental and self-awareness, so I’m happy to be part of this committee.

Tiffany Pearson

Tiffany is a Villanova University senior nursing student with minors in global health, peace and justice, and honors. She is originally from San Antonio, Texas and her career interests include community health, with a focus on underserved and marginalized communities, and emergency and ICU nursing.

Arianna Marashi

Ari is a 22 years old and currently a junior in the nursing program at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota. She currently works as a nursing station technician at the University of Minnesota Medical Center. After graduation, she hopes to travel and work as a nurse in a hospital setting, but still undecided on which area she would like to work in. Ari is interested in many areas of nursing, from emergency, ICU, OR, oncology, community/public health, holistic, and mental health. Her goals in nursing are to prevent illnesses, save lives, educate, and treat patients with a holistic perspective. She also has a vision to improve living qualities and decrease health inequities around the world.

Andrew Jensen

My name is Andrew Jensen I am a Junior at the University of Minnesota- Twin Cities. I enjoy traveling, being outdoors, and advocating for the environment. I first got passionate about environmental justice early in high school but did not start my formal work until college when I started working with Shanda Demorest on the Nurses Climate Challenge.

Daniella Rossi

Daniella was born and raised in the Bay Area. She graduated from UC Davis in December 2017 with a degree in Human Development and has just completed my 3rd semester in the CNL master’s entry program at USF. Daniella currently resides in San Francisco where she likes to stay active, cook, and explore in my free time. She is interested in waste reduction and is excited to grow her knowledge and experience base with this committee!

Liz Flores

Liz is a nursing student at the UMN with minors in Spanish and Health Psychology. She loves to read nonfiction, meaning she never stops learning! She knows that our world is not set up in a way for humans and other organisms to survive unless we as a species change how we act, which is why she is so excited to be more proactive through this opportunity!

Leanna Clark

 Leanna is currently a nursing student in my fourth semester at Auburn University in Alabama. She is originally from Huntsville, Alabama, where she was born and raised. Leanna has been coming to Auburn ever since she was little and loves the Auburn family, football, and tailgating. She also enjoys playing piano, baking, and scuba diving.

Elise Krikorian

Elise is a junior at Penn State University and is from West Chester, PA. She has been serving on the National Student Nurses’ Association as one of the directors since April and is the chair of the Population and Global Health Committee.

ANHE Student Nurse Committee

2021 Student Nurse Committee Developed Resources

In 2021, the 14-student committee focused on advancing the integration of environmental health into nursing curricula. They developed a call to action asking nursing faculty and schools of nursing to commit to integrating climate and health content into undergraduate and graduate nursing courses. To support the call to action, they interviewed nursing faculty who has successfully integrate this content into nursing sources and have compiled resources for nursing faculty interested in embarking on this endeavor. Check out the resources and view the call to action here. 

2020 Student Nurse Committee Developed Resources

In 2020, the student-driven and led group developed educational materials geared to nurses, nursing students, and community members around environmental health. The students self-divided into two subcommittees to focus on two different environmental issues: 1) composting and 2) environmental injustices. Get to know the 2020 ANHE Student Nurse Committee by listening to the Nurses for Healthy Environments’ podcast episode and check out the resources they developed below!

ANHE’s Mindless Composting Guide: Reduce, Reuse, Compost: The guide addresses the barriers that would prevent you from taking action at home. Taking small action might seem meaningless, but collectively, each of our efforts helps to drawdown carbon emissions to combat climate change. Our guide will help you become aware of the food waste you generate, creatively reuse your food scraps, and implement a mindless composting method no matter where you live. Start taking imperfect action by reading the Mindless Composting Guide to learn about the benefits of extending the life cycle of your food for you and the planet.

Environmental Injustices Factsheets: A suite of factsheets summarizing the disproportionate impacts from environmental exposures across populations, including What is Environmental Injustice, Impacts of Extreme Weather on Children, and Impacts of Extreme Winter Weather for people experiencing homelessness. In addition to an educational factsheet for community members summarizing the Effects of Heat on Older Adults and how to prevent heat-related illness, developed in partnership with Alternatives for Community and the Environment.