Laura Bornhoevd is an incoming second-year undergraduate (College ’28) from the Bay Area, California who is planning to double major in Business Economics and the new Climate and Sustainable Growth Major, with a specialization in Politics, Economics, and Society. Laura was a research assistant for Professor Robin Bartram, coding data from interviews with city officials, landlords, and homeowners in Chicago and New Orleans to understand the implications of older housing on environmental justice and health equity in these cities. Laura’s interests include environmental policy and environmental justice. She is an active member of the Energy and Climate Club at UChicago, which explores current events related to sustainable energy and climate change. In addition to her academic interests, Laura enjoys traveling and speaks multiple languages including German and Spanish, which has deepened her appreciation for global perspectives on sustainability and equity.
“These past three weeks were packed with incredible experiences! Learning about climate change on a more local level was exciting, as we got to witness firsthand the climate challenges confronting Delhi and Ahmedabad, as well as delving into the solution space to understand how problems like extreme heat and air pollution are being addressed in these cities. I really enjoyed learning about climate change through the perspectives of many different disciplines, from economics to chemistry to public policy. Some of the highlights of this trip were the excursions we did in Ahmedabad, including the Heritage Walk to the old city, the SEWA visit, and our trip to Project Adopt a Queen. I really enjoyed getting to see up-close the work that organizations like SEWA and Project Adopt a Queen are doing and getting to ask questions about the nuances of their work. We were also incredibly lucky to have had such an amazing group of people in this program, and together we explored Delhi and Ahmedabad together in our free time, visiting places like Humayan’s Tomb as well as going go-karting. The India Summer Fellows Program was a wonderful experience and I had a great time learning about both the climate challenges and solutions at the local level in cities like Ahmedabad and Delhi.”