Uploaded May 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This week, four first-year Environmental Studies graduate students will share their plans for thesis research, including projects on forest management, solar energy siting disputes, food justice, and animal welfare at zoos.
Featuring:
Finley Bell
Finley Bell is an M.A. Student in Environmental Studies at WWU. His thesis research is focusing on the surveying and classification of older forests being managed for timber production on land managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources in rural Whatcom County.
Ingrid Capes
Ingrid Capes is an M.A. student in the Environmental Studies department at WWU. Her research interests involve understanding the local impacts of broad climate actions. Her master’s thesis explores how solar siting disputes in San Juan County reveal tensions between local development needs and Washington State’s decarbonization mandates.
Caitlin Fass
Caitlin Fass is an M.A. student in Environmental Studies at Western Washington University. Her research interests include food justice, food sovereignty, and sustainable food systems. Her master's research explores how local forms of knowledge contribute to food justice practices on farms.
Ireland Streeter
Ireland Streeter is an M.A. student in the Environmental Studies Department at WWU. Her thesis research focuses on the influence of activity-based design on perceptions of animal welfare at zoos and perceptions of zoos as informal conservation institutions.
Brought to you by:
College of the Environment, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
This week, four first-year Environmental Studies graduate students will share their plans for thesis research, including projects on forest management, solar energy siting disputes, food justice, and animal welfare at zoos.
Featuring:
Finley Bell
Finley Bell is an M.A. Student in Environmental Studies at WWU. His thesis research is focusing on the surveying and classification of older forests being managed for timber production on land managed by the Washington State Department of Natural Resources in rural Whatcom County.
Ingrid Capes
Ingrid Capes is an M.A. student in the Environmental Studies department at WWU. Her research interests involve understanding the local impacts of broad climate actions. Her master’s thesis explores how solar siting disputes in San Juan County reveal tensions between local development needs and Washington State’s decarbonization mandates.
Caitlin Fass
Caitlin Fass is an M.A. student in Environmental Studies at Western Washington University. Her research interests include food justice, food sovereignty, and sustainable food systems. Her master's research explores how local forms of knowledge contribute to food justice practices on farms.
Ireland Streeter
Ireland Streeter is an M.A. student in the Environmental Studies Department at WWU. Her thesis research focuses on the influence of activity-based design on perceptions of animal welfare at zoos and perceptions of zoos as informal conservation institutions.
Brought to you by:
College of the Environment, The Foundation for WWU & Alumni
