Gaither Fellow Sia Were ’25 Takes Her Environmental Advocacy International

Sia Were ’25 has become the first Pitzer student selected for the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington, D.C., think tank that promotes international cooperation through research and actionable ideas. Were will explore climate change on a global scale through the Carnegie Endowment’s Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics program.

Were is an environmental analysis major with a focus on environmental science and policy. She is one of 16 students chosen nationwide for the Gaither fellowship, whose recipients are determined from a pool of nominees presented by several hundred participating universities and colleges. Fellows work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior scholars.

Were said she looks forward most to “building lasting mentorship and professional development networks, while having [a] new unlocked peak [of] adulting in D.C.” She anticipates applying her foundational knowledge from Pitzer to her fellowship.

Gaither Junior Fellows can conduct research for books, co-author journal articles and policy papers, join meetings with high-level officials, contribute to congressional testimony, and organize briefings attended by scholars, journalists, and government officials.

As part of the Sustainability, Climate, and Geopolitics program, Were will study how climate change and the responses to it are changing international politics, global governance, and world security. Were brings various international experiences in environmental and community action to her fellowship.

Were participated in the inaugural African Summer School on Climate Change Adaptation, which was hosted by the University of Nairobi. She also received the Pitzer Internship Fund to do a summer policy internship in Kenya at the Center for Right Education and Awareness (CREAW), an NGO that advocates for women’s rights. Were drafted reports and conducted data analysis for CREAW’s Women Economic Empowerment pillar.

Were credits her environmental analysis major for educating her on a range of subjects, including politics, physics, ecology, economics, and the arts. For her senior thesis, Were did comparative research between California and Kenya on geothermal energy development. Her thesis covered the complex intersections of technological innovation, environmental justice, and sustainable energy transitions.

Were can also boast multidisciplinary experiences beyond the classroom. She worked as an educational access programs assistant at Pitzer’s Community Engagement Center. Additionally, she served as a campus photographer as a communications assistant for Pitzer’s Office of Communications.

Were believes that being a scholar, scientist, and creative at Pitzer enabled her to take a multi-dimensional approach that has aided her immensely. She added that attending The Claremont Colleges has “allowed me to curate an academic and collegiate career where I have strength in STEM, the arts, and academia more broadly.”