Hi! My name is Jacob, and I just finished my first year at the University of Pittsburgh. I’m studying Environmental Science, and outside of the classroom I’m passionate about hands-on sustainability work! I am involved in clubs like the Conservation Club and Plant to Plate, where I get to turn my passion for sustainability into real action.

This May, I am excited to be participating in the FHC Frederick Firsts: Social Roots of Medical Innovation in Northern Ireland program. I’ll be spending one week here in Pittsburgh and one week in Belfast, Northern Ireland — and I honestly could not be more excited.

As someone who cares deeply about how humans relate to the natural world, I’m drawn to this program because of the chance to explore how different communities approach complex problems. Belfast is the setting of such a rich and layered history, and I’m eager to see how that shapes the way people think about innovation and system changes. These lessons I hope I’ll be able to bring back to my work in environmental science.

Beyond the academics, I’m looking forward to experiencing a new culture, meeting people with different perspectives, and growing in ways that make me step outside my comfort zone and explore.

I can’t wait to see where this adventure takes me!