Janice Cheng

Janice Cheng is a senior from Barrington, Rhode Island pursuing a dual degree in Applied and Resource Economics and Global Studies. She aspires to unite her passion for sustainability with a visceral curiosity about international relations, which stems from her own dual-cultural background as a Chinese-Taiwanese American. Her exchange semester at the National University of Singapore last spring solidified her aspirations to continue gaining international experience in her professional endeavors, and COP will be an essential part of that journey. During this time, her travels throughout southeast Asia broadened her perspective on the social and environmental issues affecting different developing communities in contrast to those in the US, specifically, the mass consumption of single-use plastics and the growing economic disparities associated with rampant tourism. As such, she recognizes the importance of integrating global perspectives to solve issues as widespread as climate change and looks forward to connecting with representatives from other countries to learn how other nations approach their climate goals and what the US should take from these lessons. Janice’s involvement on campus ranges from promoting cultural awareness to environmental stewardship: she is a mentor with AsACC’s Asian/Asian American Mentoring Program, Vice President of Ecoposium, and research assistant at the Zwick Center and under the supervision of Professor Charles Towe in the Applied and Resource Economics department. Her current research projects include survey work on coastal resilience in the state of Connecticut and the impact of climate change on Lyme disease and human health. For this year’s Ecoposium, she commits to incorporating an international component into each featured topic session based on new insights she brings from COP. Her interests lie within the energy industry, and she hopes to work at the intersection of the public and private sectors to implement decarbonization strategies by focusing on carbon markets, renewable developments, electrifying the grid, etc. In her spare time, Janice is most likely solving Sudoku or jigsaw puzzles, thrifting, testing new vegan recipes, and getting her zen on by moving through different yoga flows.