Andrew Vargas
Fellowship awarded: 2025
Andrew Vargas, BS, is a first-year doctoral student in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering (EHE). Advised by Dr. Keeve Nachman and Dr. Sara Lupolt, he is in the Environmental Sustainability, Resilience, and Health track. As a first-generation student, he earned a Bachelor of Science in Toxicology from the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Andrew’s previous work includes identifying the role mercury resistant bacteria play in soil-mercury emissions, analyzing mercury contamination of ancient human bones in an international collaboration, and documenting student perceptions of preparedness to navigate emotional responses to climate change and other environmental crises.
His current research interest is the impact of industrial food animal production on the health of vulnerable populations and surrounding environments.