Alumna Creates Internship Foundation for Students in the Environmental Sector

Two students were named the initial recipients for the Ripley Family Foundation internships. The program, supported by a gift from Rosemary Ripley ’80, is intended to help fund international internships for students interested in the environmental sectors. The first recipients were Genevieve Biggs FES/International Relations ’08 and Rita Hudetz SOM/FES ’09.

Biggs, who has taken classes in nonprofit management at SOM, has recently completed an internship at the Environmental Grantmakers Association, an association of environmentally-minded non-profits aimed at helping the members become more effective at winning grants. Biggs, who is interested in ecotourism, has created a briefing book for the members listing the available ecotourism grants, plus recommendations for best practices and informational resources for funders, as well as a review of applicable literature on the subject. She was also tasked with reviewing and improving the association’s graduate fellowship program. Before coming to Yale, Biggs worked for the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.

Hudetz, who co-founded an environmental health non-profit and did marketing research for a green media firm before coming to SOM, has completed an internship with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR). Her assignment was to conduct research regarding engagement of relevant private sector entities — such as chemical companies and chemical company associations — in partnership activities to support Globally Harmonized System for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) implementation in developing countries and industries. She was involved in assessing existing frameworks, standards, and certifications to determine “best practices” and to help develop a common framework and standard for all GHS implementation in developing countries.