Department Honorees

2008-09: Ruslan Filipau

Born and raised in Belarus, Ruslan was 20 when he came to the United States. With lean savings in his pocket, and little knowledge of English he arrived in San Francisco to build a new life. Working low-paying jobs, within three months he was able to master English and to get accepted at San Francisco City College. After two years at the community college he was admitted to SF State. The fallout and effects of the Chernobyl catastrophe contributed to his early interests in the fragility of the natural world. Living in San Francisco’s most actively developing neighborhood SoMa, he became acutely interested in public policy and planning. He looks forward to applying his experience and education in a career where he can serve the public good and bring about positive change.

2007-08: Denise Rivas
Denise is a recent transfer student from Santa Monica College. She is a returning student and the first in her family to attend college. She did her internship with the National Park Service where she worked on energy conservation outreach and a CFL bulb exchange. They reduced the Golden Gate National Recreation Area energy bill which garnered a hefty sum of money that now goes to environmental programs. Upon graduating, she plans to return to the Los Angeles area and work on water issues, especially conservation.

2006-07: Yvette Michaud
Yvette Michaud graduated summa cum laude from San Francisco State in 2007 with a BA in Environmental Studies and concentration in Environmental Sustainability and Social Justice. She was a leader in ECO Students, SFSU’s student environmental organization. She worked with the Cesar Chavez Student Center staff to phase in composting as part of their waste management practices and was co-chair of the organizing committee for the Redefining Wilderness Symposium. Her interests include cultivating sustainable communities through healthy food systems and waste management practices, toxics reduction, and greening the urban landscape. Prior to pursuing an Environmental Studies degree, Yvette spent 13 years as a technical pattern designer in the fashion industry.

2005-06: Deborah Meckler
Deborah is graduating this semester with a concentration in Natural Resource Management and Conservation and earned an SFSU amazing 3.97 GPA! She came back to school after getting her first bachelors degree in history in a previous life.