During my junior year, I was selected to be part of an intensive and highly competitive interdisciplinary program, SLAGC Undergraduate research scholars program. This is a year long program which teaches students about sustainability in conjunction with doing two research projects. The program's three components are:

• Placement in a Sustainable LA Grand Challenge faculty member research setting where students will conduct research under the mentorship of the faculty and senior researchers.

• A concurrent course that meets once per week that provides students with a background in urban sustainability, research and communication skills, and professional development.

• An interdisciplinary research experience among peers aimed at addressing real urban sustainability challenges in the Los Angeles region. This experience will take place under the guidance of the course instructor, and will be separate from the faculty-mentored research experience.