Brett Hurley

Brett Hurley is a senior from Coventry, Connecticut studying Environmental Science and Political Science. His interest in the environment began in his high school’s environmental science class and continued throughout college with a particular focus on clean water and energy. On-campus, Brett is a member of the Clean Energy Society, Law Society, Fossil Fuel Free UConn, and the Special Program in Law He works for the Center of Environmental Science and Engineering as a Student Research Specialist in the Nutrients Laboratory, analyzing water quality and conducting his own research about the nutrient uptake ability of an on-campus wetland. In addition to scientific research, Brett is also passionate about environmental policy and regulation. Brett interned with State Representative Christine Palm during the 2023 Connecticut legislative session learning about the state legislative process and working to advance progressive environmental legislation. He is currently researching and writing his senior honors thesis on what differentiates decarbonization plans across New England states. At COP28 he hopes to learn more about countries’ plans to decarbonize their electricity sectors and apply this knowledge to his research. After graduation Brett plans on attending law school with a particular interest in using the law to advocate for sweeping environmental action.