HWS News
22 August 2024 Wanduragala '25 to Attend Climate Summit in Malaysia By Mary Warner '21
A double major in Economics and Environmental Studies, Anjalee Wanduragala ’25 has been selected as a delegate for the Youth Climate Summit Southeast Asia 2024.
In October, HWS Student Trustee Anjalee Wanduragala ’25, a double major in Economics and Environmental Studies, will travel to Penang, Malaysia for the five-day Youth Climate Summit Southeast Asia where she will connect with other future climate leaders and learn from experts. Nearly 300 Malaysian and international youth are expected to attend.
Wanduragala, of Sri Lanka, says she learned of the Summit through her work with HWS’ Finger Lakes Institute (FLI) and the Wild Center on Tupper Lake in the Adirondacks.
“With the encouragement of my mentors at FLI, I decided to apply,” she says. “It still feels surreal that I was selected. I am incredibly excited about this opportunity.”
As a sophomore, Wanduragala transferred to HWS from the University of Colombo in Sri Lanka and planned to pursue a career in finance. That’s until she took a class on climate change with Professor of Environmental Studies Kristen Brubaker that sparked a new interest. Now, Wanduragala is looking to build “a career around environmental activism and education.”
Wanduragala has worked at the FLI in several capacities. Most recently, she participated in the Summer Mentor Research Program, studying the relationships between nutrients and chlorophyll-a levels in the Finger Lakes with FLI Director Lisa Cleckner. She has also assisted Associate Director for Educational Programs Nadia Harvieux with the Youth Climate Leadership Retreat and Educator Climate Retreat, during which she also presented at the Adirondack Youth Climate Summit on Climate Justice and Climate Communication. She also worked with the FLI on the Finger Lakes Youth Climate Summit.
“At Hobart and William Smith, the FLI is a place that supports and encourages students like me to grow and explore different avenues in the environmental sphere. I appreciate all my professors for being understanding and helping me balance my classes with these extracurricular opportunities,” she says.
On campus, Wanduragala is also minoring in International Relations. She has served as a secretary of William Smith Congress and worked as an America Reads tutor, Orientation Leader, First-Year Mentor and in the Office of Admissions. She is a member of the Laurel Society, an Alger Adams Scholar and the recipient of the Anderton Award for Global Engagement.
Top: Anjalee Wanduragala '25 and Caroline Gannon '26 place the mesocosm racks into a pond at Henry Hanley Biological Field Preserve to simulate the conditions typical for algal growth in the region. After 5 days, Chlorophyll levels in the samples are measured and will help determine which nutrients drive this growth.
