Fellowship Program

Maya Shields is a returning fellow from the Fall 2025 cycle who is excited to continue her work with the Science and Policy team! Maya graduated from Tulane University in 2025 and continued to live in New Orleans while working with Healthy Gulf. She is planning on applying to law school with the hopes of pursuing a career in environmental law, something that her Healthy Gulf fellowship has helped her gain exposure to and continued knowledge on. After completing her capstone project on the environmental threats of the expanding fertilizer production industry in Louisiana, Maya hopes to continue this work throughout the 2026 fellowship while also supporting legal work at Healthy Gulf. 

Mahogany Sibley is an Organizing Fellow based in Southwest Louisiana (SWLA) currently completing her second term as an intern with Healthy Gulf. She has been involved in environmental work since the age of 15, Mahogany combines a deep rooted commitment to environmental advocacy with her studies in Digital Arts and Communications to blend creative visual media with grassroots community engagement. A recent milestone includes designing and hosting a community Paint & Sip event on April 11th, 2026, which combined art, connection, and fellowship. Deeply inspired by her mother, Meoshia Sibley. Her ultimate role model and guiding light. Mahogany strives to bring passion, creativity, and purpose into every community initiative she undertakes.

Syna Pal (She/Her), I’m from Mumbai, India. She graduated from Tulane in May 2026 with a BS in Environmental Biology and Economics, and a BA in Political Science. She is really interested in the political ecology of “green” energy transitions, including investigating the disparate impacts of CCS. This is my second term as a Science and Policy Fellow, during the last fellowship term I worked with Matt and Maya on our capstone report “Fertilized to Death” that analyzed the implications of proposed fertilizer manufacturing facilities in Louisiana. I have loved contributing to research with the Science and Policy team so far and I’m excited to continue that work. I’ve also really enjoyed collaborating with other fellows on their projects as well as other Healthy Gulf events. I hope to stay in the field of environmental justice and help translate complex scientific concepts into accessible language that can be used by community organizations and advocacy groups to fight for environmental protections.

Chanté Davis is a New Orleans native, dedicated ocean conservationist, and climate activist working with Healthy Gulf as a Black Girl Environmentalist fellow. Chanté recently graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Marine Science and Conservation and a minor in Journalism and Media, equipping her as a science communicator. She has a background in diverse fieldwork, including environmental surveys in Mozambique, New Orleans, and North Carolina, and has been featured in documentaries, such as “Changemakers: The Global Race to Save Our Seas” and “To The End.” A seasoned advocate, Chanté orchestrated a 400-mile Gulf South climate march from New Orleans to Houston at age 17 and has since empowered audiences through climate storytelling and leadership roles within organizations such as the Sunrise Movement and Common Ground Relief.

Chanté is interested in how people, water, and marine animals interact within shared ecosystems. While at Healthy Gulf, Chanté will be working on the climate justice campaign, researching what an equitable stormwater fee looks like for New Orleans and helping support the New Orleans East Community Water Plan through her hydrological knowledge.

Tommy Tucker is a human ecologist, and they have primarily worked as a field researcher in fields ranging from geology to fisheries to marine mammals. Throughout their experiences with communicating their projects to the public and stakeholders, Tommy began incorporating aspects of art and storytelling to help build connections between the audience and the subject matter. Tommy uses this same method of storytelling and personal art-making to invite people to connect with cryptic and protected species, especially Rice’s whales. Tommy is from Beaumont, Texas and has traveled all over with their work. They currently live in Provincetown, Massachusetts.

William Nunley Southeast Texas Fellowship under Kourtney Revels. Graduate of Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration in Marketing. Co-Founder of Unity is Wealth, a Community based organization Houston, TX founded in 2016. Experience in disaster relief recovery from Hurricane Harvey, also have worked with the NAACP, Urban League and various political parties and politicians around South East Texas.

Maya Weber is a marketing professional with experience in communication, event marketing, and community engagement. She is passionate about using storytelling to build meaningful connections. Outside of work, she enjoys fitness, reading, traveling, and discovering new ways to connect with people through meaningful experiences.