Johnson’s research could guide the development of sustainable plastics—and a more sustainable future.
Institute at Brown for Environment and Society
Student Spotlights
IBES students are the next generation of thoughtful environmental leaders and powerful agents of change.
Student Spotlights
IBES students are the next generation of thoughtful environmental leaders and powerful agents of change.
Summer in focus
Step into the field with IBES undergraduates as they share first-person clips from their summer internships and research opportunities.
Featured Stories
https://www.youtube.com/embed/1Kyrcm0AgFc
Learning by doing
IBES-affiliated student researchers share how hands-on learning is enriching their Brown experience and preparing them for future careers.
Recent News
View all IBES NewsBrown students explore climate careers through IBES summer internships
A record 36 Brown students spent the summer working with organizations across the U.S. and around the world, exploring diverse career paths in climate, sustainability, and the environment.
Meet Voss Fellow Isidora Stevens ’28: Mapping a bioregion that transcends political borders
Stevens spent the summer in Colorado studying land stewardship and ecosystem change in the Upper Rio Grande Basin through community interviews and vegetation mapping.
Brown students reported on Providence’s rivers. Every. Story. Got. Published.
What does it take to turn a class assignment into a story? Brown students in IBES' Science Journalism course investigated environmental issues shaping communities across Providence and saw their work appear in ecoRI News.
Meet Voss Fellow Jules Ho ’27: Tracking wild sloth microbiomes
A dual-degree student in Environmental Sciences and Studies and the Rhode Island School of Design’s Illustration Department, Ho studies the gut microbiomes of wild sloths in Costa Rica to map normal variation and test how species, habitat, and rehabilitation status shape these microbial communities.
IBES expands undergraduate research opportunities with new assistantship program
This summer, the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society (IBES) welcomed its first group of students into a new program designed to expand access to faculty-mentored research opportunities in climate and the environment.
ENVS student Shant Ispendjian ’28 builds a national platform for environmental advocacy
After witnessing pollution in Southern California’s coastal waters as a high school student, Ispendjian founded Saving the Sea. Today, the national nonprofit is helping students translate environmental research into policy and action.
Commencement 2026: Photos, videos, and highlights
Commencement Weekend offered a chance to celebrate the accomplishments of the Class of 2026 and the relationships and sense of purpose that connect the IBES community across generations.
Undergrads from ENVS, Econ, Applied Math secure top finish in global impact investing competition
Supported by IBES faculty and alumni mentors, a team of Brown undergraduates advanced to the finals of the Turner MIINT Competition and placed third overall against dozens of graduate teams from around the world.