The Net Zero Emerging Leaders Internship grants are given to Oregon architecture and engineering firms to employ students for a 12-week paid internship. The interns assist with the firms’ AIA 2030 Commitment to evolve design practices, meet energy targets and achieve net-zero buildings by 2030.
Energy Trust awarded grants to three local firms, GBD Architects, Green Hammer, and Salazar Architect, Inc., to employ interns from January to April 2022.
Liudmila Semenova
Liudmila is a Fulbright scholar and master’s student in architecture at Arizona State University, where she works on sustainable design projects. She is particularly interested in issues related to climate change and creating climate-adaptable spaces. She’s also inspired by international design and the concept of public good as a core concept of urban planning. Liudmila is an avid traveler, a former professional basketball player, and an aspiring skipper.
Amber Zepeda
Amber started on her educational journey by earning a Bachelor’s in English Literature and Communication. After a stint in the Peace Corps teaching English in Ukraine, she did some soul-searching and decided to go back to school to become an engineer. She is currently a mechanical engineering student at Portland State University. Amber is excited to learn as much as possible during her internship and to further explore the coalescence of beauty and function.
Caleb Bean
Caleb is in his third year University of Oregon’s school of architecture where he has focused on using sustainable principles with beautiful design to create long-lasting buildings. He enjoys the challenge of using multiple subjects, such as physics, material science and regional construction practices, to come to a holistic understanding of the context in which a building is constructed.
Mia Kalatzes
Mia has always loved science and the arts, but it wasn’t until she took an Intro to Architecture course at the University of Oregon that she found an area of study that allowed her to combine her interests in design, creativity, analytical thinking and sustainability. Mia is eager to dig into the complexities of designing for a changing climate, and the integration of different building assemblies, such as aesthetics, health, safety and so much more.
Dorian McCall
Dorian’s interest in architecture began with building Lincoln Logs and forts as a child in Riverside, California. After receiving his Bachelor’s degree in Global Sustainable Development with a minor in Architecture from Metropolitan State University of Denver, he has spent time traveling, reading, studying languages, and exploring his passion for sustainability. Dorian is most excited to learn first-hand how professional architects collaborate and create their designs while incorporating sustainable technologies.
Nasrin Golshany
Nasrin is pursuing her PhD at the University of Oregon, exploring where architecture and sustainability meet art and science. She believes a human-centered approach to architecture plays an essential role in addressing complex challenges, reducing negative environmental impacts and improving quality of life. As a designer and researcher with experience in academia and industry, Nasrin looks forward to exploring connections between health and the built environment, as well as academic findings and practical solutions.
| Matt Bray, James Chrisman and Eric McDaniel GBD Architects | Erica Dunn, Jon Lundstrom Green Hammer | Matt Bokar, Dariia Vernygora, Alejandra Madrinan and Jake Lewis Salazar Architect Inc. |