Student Advising
Active and engaged advising is a hallmark of the Earth Systems Program. We offer a tiered advising network that starts with an annual cohort of student advisors and includes committed staff & faculty. We pride ourselves on offering advising and guidance on a "one human being at a time" basis. Please feel free to stop by office hours for help or set up an appointment by emailing the individual student advisor you'd like to meet with. Student Advisors hold weekly office hours in the Earth Systems office during the academic year. Our doors are always open!
Meet our Earth Systems Student Advisors
Pearl Shing-Roth
B.S. Earth Systems- Land Systems
pearlsr@stanford.edu
Pearl Shing-Roth (any pronouns) is a senior on the Land Systems track with a minor in Religious Studies. Interest in the concepts of rootedness and spatial relationships have driven her studies in both environmental and religious settings, and these same concepts have guided her work in environmental justice advocacy at and beyond Stanford. Her experience has centered on local governance and grassroots organizations in her home state of California, so stop by her office hours to chat about the riveting topics of municipal bureaucracy and the non-profit sector. Pearl is also available to discuss planning for the annual Earthtones Festival, surviving tick bites at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve, and her favorite plants of the cactus scrub.
Kaylee Shen
B.S. Earth Systems- Human Environmental Systems
kayshen@stanford.edu
Kaylee is a senior from Olympia, Washington on the Human Environmental Systems track with minors in Human Rights and Data Science. She is interested in climate startups, global food systems, and the intersection between human rights and environmental science. She has interned at the Indonesia Ocean Justice Initiative, a Jakarta-based think tank, and is working on her honors thesis on digital platform usage in Indonesian seaweed farming. Some of her favorite books include The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Long Walk to Freedom, and A Promised Land. She plays oboe in the Stanford Symphony Orchestra and enjoys listening to Romantic era music, movie soundtracks, 2010’s American pop, and YouTube video essay analysis of Arcane and BoJack Horseman.
Faith Riensche
B.S. Earth Systems Program- Sustainable Food and Agriculture
riensche@stanford.edu
Faith is a senior on the Sustainable Food and Agriculture track hailing from rural Iowa. Growing up as the sixth generation on her family’s farm, her passion for food production and agriculture is unyielding. She is especially interested in global consumption structures, adaptive farming practices for changing climatic conditions, the amplification of producer voices beyond production, and the rich food histories that influence agricultural choices. To her, the how-it's-made in the field is just as important as the how-it's-made in the kitchen. During her study abroad via the BOSP Oxford program, Faith specialized in agricultural propaganda use during World War I and World War II with a focus on key subjects such as the Women’s Land Army, countrywide rationing schemes, and hunger as a medium for generating international action. Beyond Earth Systems, catch Faith cheering at sporting events with the Stanford Axe Committee and The Forest, enthusiastically consuming Star Trek, and whittling away at her ever-growing stash of historical fiction and sci-fi novels.
Bailey Sellfors
Earth Systems - Human Environmental Systems
bsellfors@stanford.edu
Bailey is a senior on the Human Environmental Systems track from Simi Valley, CA. She is interested in sustainable development, environmental communication, and environmental justice. She is especially passionate about the intersection of business and true sustainability, with a focus on ESG and environmental economics. She has recently been drawn to the world of sustainable fashion and ethical design due to her internship at a software company focused on resale markets for large fashion brands. Her love for the earth comes from a childhood of hiking, paddleboarding, and surfing the beautiful Ventura waves. Outside of the Earth Systems office, you can find Bailey on runs around Lake Lag, reading fantasy books, or on the hunt for good thrift finds in the Bay.
Diego Gutierrez
Earth Systems- Sustainable Food and Agriculture
diegogtz@stanford.edu
Diego (he/him) is in his final year of undergrad on the Sustainable Food and Agriculture track. He is from San Antonio, Texas and enjoys gardening and playing with his dogs outside. He is interested in agroecology and food sovereignty, and understanding how these disciplines can work in places like Puerto Rico, where his mother’s side of the family is from. He spent this last summer growing staple Puerto Rican vegetables (pigeon peas, cassava, taro) on a small plot of land. He hopes to understand ways that agricultural systems can rely less on chemical inputs and how systems can better provide food to families. Outside of the Earth Systems office you can find him analyzing soils in the Fendorf lab or laying in the grass at the Oval.
Anika Quon
B.S. Earth Systems- Biosphere
anikaq@stanford.edu
Anika is a senior on the biosphere track, with a minor in data science. She is interested in conservation and wildlife biology, science communication, and environmental justice. She is curious about understanding how biodiversity protection fits into the context of a larger socio-economic system. Lately, she has been focusing on more marine biology and oceanography, working at the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions and at the Hopkins Marine Station. But, she still loves her charismatic terrestrial megafauna, and works as a docent at Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve ('Ootchamin 'Ooyakma). Ask her about studying abroad in Australia and her love of bears! Outside of the Earth Systems office, she loves ultimate frisbee, cooking, hiking, writing, and photosynthesizing (spending as much time outside as possible).
Hope Adhanom-Shipman
B.S. Earth Systems- Sustainable Food & Agriculture
hcadship@stanford.edu
Hope is a senior on the Sustainable Food and Agriculture Track with a minor in Data Science. She is interested in agroecology, biocultural diversity, and environmental justice. Hope is especially passionate about reimagining equitable food systems that support both human and ecological health. Recently, she has been interested in learning how community farms can be used to promote nutrition security and cultural connectedness within historically marginalized communities. She also loves working with kids, and hopes to incorporate education into her future career. Outside of the Earth Systems office, you can find Hope reading in a hammock somewhere or working on a crochet project. This year, she is also working at the O'Donohue Family Stanford Educational Farm, so ask her about how to get involved!
Varun Shirhatti
B.S. Earth Systems- Biosphere Track
vshiratti@stanford.edu
Varun (he/him) is a senior on the Biosphere track. His main academic interests are biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, and science communication. He's chronically indecisive (there are so many fascinating things to study!), but is particularly interested in the role of storytelling in the environmental movement, as well as the ways in which conservation and sustainable land use practices can be implemented in places like India, where he grew up. His last three years as part of Students for a Sustainable Stanford and his summer internship with the Deschutes Land Trust have also taught him a lot about the importance of environmental justice and collective action. When not in the Earth Systems office, he can be found working on ecology research in the Dirzo Lab, hiking in the hills behind campus, reading fantasy books, or singing with Stanford Talisman. Ask him about the Bay Area's unique ecology and getting involved with environmental (or musical) groups on campus!
Meet our Earth Systems staff members
Do you have questions? We can help.
For information about our academic programs, applications, deadlines, department resources, and policies, please contact:
Anahid Babekian
Assistant Director of Student Services
anahids@stanford.edu; (650) 725-7427
Slack: Anahid Babekian
Melissa Vallejo
Program Administration
mvallejo@stanford.edu; (650) 723-8112
Slack: mvallejo
Meet our academic advisors
Our academic advisors come from many different disciplines across the university.
Meet all peer advisors
Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Peer Advisors has advisors in Geophysics, Geological Sciences, and Energy Resources Engineering too.