Thomas Bonitz

Thomas Bonitz is a first-year Geography PhD student who recently graduated from UConn as a member of the class of 2024 with a double major in Geographic Information Science and Economics. During his time as an undergraduate, Thomas engaged in community service as a co-director of Honors Across State Borders, as a team leader of Kids & UConn Bridging Education, and as a member of English Language Learners. He has previously worked as a Sustainable CT Fellow, a Sustainability Intern for Mansfield, CT, and a co-creator of a sustainability camp for Manchester, CT. Thomas is advised by Dr. Carol Atkinson-Palombo, with whom he researched the impact of commercial-scale solar installations on nearby property prices as an undergraduate. As a PhD student, Thomas aspires to a career as a Professor, tackling climate change through research, teaching, and advocacy. In particular, he is interested in researching the just transition from an extractive economy to a regenerative one. Thomas is excited to attend COP 29 to see firsthand how international stakeholders approach issues of the just transition, and assess their appetite for the transformative change necessary to avert the worst consequences of the climate crisis.