Internship Program

The faculty and staff of The Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability (ACES) are working on a strategic plan for our next 20 years. We are lucky to have amazing student interns join us on this journey. Their work on specific initiatives is instrumental in helping ACES plan our future and helps grow our outreach, engagement and influence to support our mission.

Our fall 2025 interns

Devin Armstrong is a junior from Wake Forest, NC, double majoring in Business Administration and Information Science. He is ready to learn more about financial solutions that connect with sustainable development goals and use business as a tool for climate impact.

Cenisario Cano-Rosales is a rising sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill, double majoring in Business Administration and Information Science with a minor in Sustainability Studies. Originally from Charlotte, NC, he is passionate about entrepreneurship, sustainability and public service. In his free time, he enjoys exploring cultures, going to the gym, playing tennis, cooking and hiking. This summer, he hopes to deepen his understanding of the intersection between sustainability and business by exploring intricate concepts like blended finance and regenerative practices. He aims to bridge innovation and community through storytelling that inspires meaningful change.

Katie DuHaime is a junior double majoring in Environmental Studies and Public Policy with a focus in Sustainability. While being passionate about the integration of more sustainable models within current infrastructure, she is most interested in working for the sustainable apparel and textiles sector. Her work with ACES is giving her grounded experience in researching how sustainable textile integration can be achieved through the intersectionality of sectors.

Brayden Gyure is a rising junior from Frisco, Texas, majoring in Environmental Science Quantitative Energy Systems at UNC Chapel Hill. He will be working with ACES this summer as a part of the AI and Climate Strategy team. He is looking forward to finding ways AI can achieve the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals while working with professionals from all industries. Brayden is also in Carolina Athletics, as a part of the Men’s Epee Fencing team. For hobbies, Brayden enjoys 3D modeling, animation, playing guitar and running.

Rose Kurian is a rising sophomore at UNC planning to study Business Administration and Media & Journalism. She is interested in sustainable initiatives within major industries and their social impact. She is currently a Marketing, Communications, & Heart of Waraba intern where she hopes to combine her passion for creative storytelling to support sustainable causes.

Dylan McCormack is a rising sophomore from Atlanta, Georgia, majoring in Business and Psychology at UNC-Chapel Hill. He is passionate about leveraging finance to drive sustainable business solutions and social impact. Dylan has experience in sustainability through his work with the nonprofit Trees Atlanta and sustainable consulting work completed during his time abroad in Costa Rica through Carolina Global Launch. This summer, he will be working with the Blended Finance and Impact Investing team, where he hopes to deepen his understanding of sustainable finance while exploring his career interests in consulting, wealth management and entrepreneurship.

Harley Nguyen is a rising sophomore from Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, studying Business Administration and Economics. She will be working with ACES this summer in the Early-Stage Impact Investing group. She serves as an Engagement Director for the Carolina Case Challenge, Head of Media & Marketing at UNC Finance Society and is a member of Carolina Women in Business. In her free time, she enjoys photography, golfing, traveling and hiking.

Bryan Park is a junior at UNC-Chapel Hill majoring in Business Administration and Economics. He is passionate about the role of finance in driving sustainable and inclusive growth. Currently, Bryan is working with the Ackerman Center for Excellence in Sustainability (ACES), where he researches how blended finance and impact investing can be leveraged to accelerate climate solutions and social equity.

Neha Patel is a rising senior at UNC-Chapel Hill, majoring in Economics with minors in Sustainability Studies and Business Administration. She is deeply passionate about applying economic and business strategies to foster a more sustainable future. With a strong foundation in impact investing, ESG storytelling and multimedia communications, Neha brings creativity, organization and a deep commitment to sustainability in every role she takes on.

This summer, Neha is interning with the Apparel, Food, Forest Products and Consumer Goods team, where she is specifically researching sustainable apparel, textiles and fashion. Her work focuses on identifying innovative practices within the fashion industry that align with broader sustainability goals.

Previously, Neha served as a Marketing and Communications Intern with ACES, where she contributed to strategic outreach campaigns, helped develop marketing materials for UNC’s Impact Investing Fund and the LIFT Competition and assisted with a website redesign. She also interned with ACES on a project exploring the impact of large language models on businesses’ climate strategies, further strengthening her ability to communicate complex sustainability topics effectively.

In addition to her professional experiences, Neha has held leadership roles with the Family Enterprise Center and Old Well Wishes, where she managed projects, led community engagement efforts and spearheaded marketing initiatives. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Pi, a professional business fraternity, where she continues to grow her network, build leadership skills and deepen her commitment to ethical and sustainable business practices.

Sreenidhi Prakki is a sophomore from Indian Trail, North Carolina, studying Business Administration and Applied Mathematics at UNC-Chapel Hill. She is passionate about exploring how emerging technologies, especially AI and data systems, can support sustainable finance and climate innovation. This summer, she is interning with the AI and Climate Strategy team for ACES, where she is researching how businesses can use AI to improve their climate and sustainability goals.

Hiyaa Rathod is a rising sophomore at UNC-Chapel Hill studying Data Science and Health Policy & Management. She is passionate about using sustainability data to drive resilience in bio-based systems, from biomass supply chains to circular economies. With experience in sustainability audits and food recovery research at UNC, as well as coral reef restoration in Phuket, Hiyaa is excited to explore innovative solutions like biomass cultivation and rare earth recovery to reshape supply chains and rural economies.

Jackson Reinking is a rising junior from Atlanta, Georgia, majoring in business. He will be working with ACES this summer in the Early-Stage Impact Investing group. Jackson is looking forward to combining his interests in finance and sustainability to work with professionals throughout the Triangle area. He also works with several organizations on campus, such as The Reynolds Fund, the Undergraduate Finance Society, the Undergraduate Venture Capital Club and the Wealth Management Organization. Outside of UNC, Jackson enjoys working out, country music, rock climbing and Formula 1.

Emma Sherrill is a Junior from Charlotte, North Carolina studying Public Policy and Environmental Studies on the Sustainability track, with a minor in Environmental Justice. She is passionate about environmental justice, climate policy and sustainable development, with a long-term goal of addressing the human-environment challenges we face through a legal and sustainability perspective. She hopes to bring an environmental justice lens to her work with ACES.

Antony Tran is a rising sophomore at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he is double majoring in Computer Science and Interactive Media with a minor in Entrepreneurship. Driven by his passion for entrepreneurship, Antony is currently developing his own start-up and is set to join an accelerator cohort in July of 2025. This summer, he joins the AI and Climate Strategy team at ACES, where he will gain hands-on experience researching the many ways AI impacts climate and various sectors of sustainability. In his free time, Antony enjoys painting, mixing music and building with Lego bricks.

Ling Xiong is a rising sophomore majoring in Environmental Science and Public Policy. Having lived in three different countries, the US, Taiwan and Germany, she has grown a passion for environmentalism and finds great importance in understanding the ways in which cultures and economies impact sustainability differently across the world. As a biomining and bioeconomy intern with ACES, she is researching how to bolster the North Carolina bioeconomy and improve global circularity.