Julie Heck graduated from the Harvard Graduate School of Education in May 2026 with a Master’s in Education (Ed.M.). During her time at Harvard, Julie became involved in campus sustainability initiatives and programs, including the Office for Sustainability’s Council of Student Sustainability Leaders (CSSL). Learn more about Julie’s experience at Harvard.
What is your best memory working in sustainability at Harvard?
The student mixers. They highlighted the importance of bringing people together across all of Harvard’s schools and demonstrated how progress is built through meaningful relationships and conversations that transform ideas into action. Those gatherings made sustainability feel more than academic and technical—they made it feel collaborative and deeply rooted in community.
What other sustainability experiences did you have at Harvard and beyond?
I engaged with sustainability through coursework, student-led initiatives, and interdisciplinary projects, including work at the intersection of AI and environmental impact. I served as a Student Ambassador for the Salata Institute and co-organized the Green AI Summit 2025 at Harvard and Boston University. I also explored events and collaborations across Harvard, MIT, and the broader Cambridge-Boston community to better understand how sustainability challenges can be addressed across technical, educational, and design disciplines.
What were the most inspiring sustainability topics you learned about?
Natural capital accounting, biodiversity credits, and the emerging ways AI can support environmental conservation, particularly in ocean and forest ecosystems.
I was especially inspired by the innovative applications of technology and by the passionate individuals developing scalable, real-world solutions to environmental challenges across diverse sectors.