Ariel Shaw, who interned at Beyond Pesticides in Washington DC after graduating from Kenyon College in Gambier OH, joined the MEC staff in September.

Shaw’s work at Beyond Pesticides caught the attention of MEC Health Policy Director Tess Karwoski as they worked together on common issues. She was selected from an applicant pool of about 50 candidates.

During her tenure at Beyond Pesticides, Shaw promoted safe alternatives to chemical treatments and educated people about the dangers of pesticides. At Kenyon, she studied anthropology and English.

Shaw said she is enthused that her work as Land Use and Energy Program Associate will allow her to focus on a broad range of issues affecting residents as well as big-picture issues like climate change. Her passion for the environment, she said, stems from her parent's love of nature and interest in sustainable living during her childhood in Bloomington, IN.

"I'm excited to come to a place like Michigan, with its long history of citizen involvement and interest in protecting the Great Lakes and the state's other natural resources," Shaw said. "And I'm soliciting ideas on which parts of the state that I should start exploring first, because there's so much to see."

In addition to a passion for the environment that leads her to explore the nooks and crannies of parks, woods and rivers, Shaws is an accomplished harpist, enjoys painting with acrylics and writing poetry.

Shaw lives in Ann Arbor with a pair of cats, Samba and Little Bit. Her longtime boyfriend, Brian Karrer, is a first-year graduate student in the University of Michigan's physics PhD program.

Shwa will work closely with Land Programs Director Brad Garmon and Energy Program Director David Gard.

"Ariel stood out from among a superb field of applicants," said Gard. "We're fortunate to have someone of her high caliber. She brings both intelligence and passion for the important issues that challenge Michigan and the nation in the coming years."