Thirty-five Indiana University students are dedicating the summer to helping Indiana organizations advance their sustainability and resilience goals. While contributing to Hoosier businesses, nonprofits, and communities, the students will also be developing valuable skills for their future careers.
The students are members of McKinney Climate Fellows, a program administered by the IU Environmental Resilience Institute to support the health and security of Indiana communities, while developing the next generation of climate leaders.
On May 13, the students gathered on the IU Bloomington campus for Climate Camp, a full-day training and networking event to prepare them for their 12-week posts across the state. The students participated in training sessions spanning communication, geographic data tools, and data visualization.
Host organizations represent a variety of sectors, from local governments and nonprofits to private businesses. This year’s hosts include Cummins, Indianapolis Airport Authority, Circular Venture Lab, Shirley Heinze Land Trust, and others. A dozen Indiana local governments are also hosting fellows, with eight of them participating in ERI’s 2025 Resilience Cohort program focused on heat pump adoption and community tree planting plans.
"The talent and energy these students bring to addressing one of our state’s most pressing problems cannot be understated,” said Elspeth Hayden, ERI McKinney Climate Fellows program manager. “As we’ve seen from years past, the ripple effects of these summer experiences can place students on the fast track toward meaningful careers that restore the balance between people and planet.”
Since 2017, more than 260 students have served as McKinney Climate Fellows, which is open to students at any IU campus. Collectively, fellows have contributed more than 100,000 hours to advancing sustainability goals.
Here’s what some of the 2025 fellows had to say about why they chose to become a fellow and what they hope to accomplish through the program:
Jordan Fauser is a rising junior and environmental science major at IU Bloomington who will be collaborating with Shirley Heinze Land Trust in Valparaiso, Ind.
“Growing up near Lake Michigan, I developed a love for the environment and a desire to protect it,” Fauser said. “My goal is to one day work on the Great Lakes and aid in their restoration and preservation.”
Fauser said she's looking forward to applying skills she’s developed, such as geographic information systems (GIS) software skills, toward projects that are meaningful to her.
“I am extremely excited to be a part of McKinney Climate Fellows this summer because I have the opportunity to learn and gain useful skills while also making my home state more sustainable and resilient,” Fauser said.
Rahul Durai is a rising sophomore majoring in environmental and sustainability studies and history at IU Bloomington. Durai will be working with the Metropolitan Mayors Caucus in the Chicago region.
“When I was younger, learning about Indiana's reliance on coal combustion forced me to contemplate my home state's disproportionately large contribution to climate change. I felt a duty to get involved in local action,” Durai said.
While in high school, Durai co-founded Confront the Climate Crisis, a youth-led organization advocating for climate solutions at the Indiana Statehouse and served as the policy chair of the Go Greener Commission of West Lafayette, Durai’s hometown.
At IU, he’s had the opportunity to engage in research through the Sustainability Scholars program on the global implications of climate change, contributing to a study on farmers’ attitudes and behavior toward climate change impacts in the Cordillera Blanca mountains in Peru.
This summer, Durai will work on research design to help municipalities in the Chicago area, including Northwest Indiana communities, track their sustainability progress, integrate climate action priorities, and hire sustainability staff. Durai will also promote energy savings programs to residents.
“Learning about sustainability in a new, more urban geographical context excites me,” Durai said. “I am curious about how local climate action in Chicagoland differs from what I have observed in Indiana. This inquiry ties into my broader research interests about how local conditions influence climate change mitigation and adaptation.”
Annika Swanson is a graduate student pursuing degrees in public affairs and environmental science at IU Bloomington. She’ll be devoting the summer to advancing the goals of the Indiana Energy Independence Fund (IEIF), the state’s first nonprofit green bank.
“As someone who grew up camping and hiking frequently as a child and now works as a nurse, I am passionate about exploring the connections between human health and the environment and what we as individuals and policymakers can do to improve both,” Swanson said.
IEIF helps facilitate private investment in low-carbon and climate-resilient infrastructure. Swanson will contribute to the launch of IEIF’s new program focused on residential properties and will engage stakeholders across the state. She’ll also be developing skills in financial analysis and learning ways homeowners and businesses can save money while reducing their carbon footprint.
Swanson’s fellowship directly aligns with her career goals of working in sustainability planning, development, and policy.
“The transition to a healthier and greener world needs to be affordable in order to be effective,” Swanson said.
Cameron Schilling is a graduate student pursuing master’s degrees in public affairs and environmental science at IU Bloomington. Schilling will be working with the City of South Bend to support adoption of heat pump technology as part of the Resilience Cohort.
“My interest in sustainability grew immensely during the COVID-19 pandemic, which opened my eyes to the inequity and fragility of global food systems, especially in the face of climate change,” Schilling said.
Schilling said this passion led him to conduct research on the equity of urban agriculture in San Diego, with a focus on the legacy of racist urban development policies. This summer, Schilling hopes to explore the role of local government in creating positive change.
The project in South Bend is aimed at growing awareness of heat pumps as a highly efficient technology through outreach and demonstrations. Through his fellowship, Schilling said he aims to broaden his knowledge of local climate resilience efforts as well as his technical, outreach, and project management skills.
“I’m specifically excited to see how local governments engage with stakeholders in positive and collaborative ways and apply that towards food system equity-oriented goals,” he said.
About the Environmental Resilience Institute
Indiana University’s Environmental Resilience Institute connects a broad coalition of government, business, nonprofit, and community leaders to help Indiana and the Midwest better prepare for the challenges of environmental change. Together, we integrate research, education, and community to create environmental resilience and climate solutions—building a more sustainable, equitable, and prosperous future. Learn more at eri.iu.edu.
