Lela Cooper

Currently I am in my junior year at UW, intending to graduate with a major in Environmental Studies and a minor in Urban Design and Planning. Growing up in the Inland Northwest I have always been fascinated with the natural world, and especially the cold landscapes of the Arctic. Growing up surrounded by changing nature, and by many people whose lives rely on the region’s natural resources and industries, climate change is something I am very passionate about, and something that I am so happy to be able to focus on in my studies at UW. While I greatly prefer spending time outside the city to the everyday hustle and chaos of Seattle, I am very interested in the ways in which cities are designed, as I see smart urban planning as a great way to address many serious environmental issues, like climate change.