MESM 2026
Bio
A Sacramento native, Megan earned her bachelor's in environmental studies and political science with distinction from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2024. During her undergraduate career, she analyzed midwestern climate action plans. She is a proud member of the Ponca Tribe of Nebraska and has worked for them in multiple positions during her time at UNL. While interning for their environmental department, she witnessed a disconnect between federal and tribal governments despite their shared environmental goals. As an economic development intern, she saw how financial independence is necessary for tribes to accomplish their sustainability goals. As a current member of their youth council, she distributes reusable menstrual products to female members to promote environmental and financial sustainability. Megan firmly believes indigenous knowledge and perspectives are a widely ignored but vital sources of information about land stewardship and is passionate about incorporating them into policy while back in California. With this goal in mind, she is pursuing a specialization in environmental policy and water management at Bren. In the future, she hopes to be a bridge between tribal and federal governments, ensuring that tribes' needs are addressed, and goals are realized.