Maria Huang is a second-year undergraduate at the University of California (UC), Berkeley, pursuing a dual major in environmental economics and policy and sociology. She holds several leadership roles at UC Berkeley, including director of finance and internal affairs with Amnesty International, academic affairs external chair with the Undergraduate Economics Association, and co-director of Research with the Student Policy Institute.
Huang is also a National Science Foundation-sponsored Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure research intern at CONVERGE at the Natural Hazards Center at the University of Colorado Boulder. During the summer of 2024, she will help advance research on the social dimensions of natural hazards and disaster resilience by developing a training module on maternal health research and practice in hazards and disasters. Her work at CONVERGE complements her passion for environmental justice, where she advocates for sustainable and equitable solutions to pressing environmental challenges. She aspires to pursue a career in environmental litigation or public policy, leveraging her academic background and leadership experience to effect meaningful change.