ALUMNI

Lailah Hall is a Columbia HBCU Fellow and recent graduate of the Master of Science in Sustainability Management (SUMA) program. As a 2024 graduate of Florida A&M University (FAMU), a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), Lailah earned her Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Business and left a remarkable legacy of community engagement and leadership.

Akshay Malhotra, associate director at S&P Global and former president of the Sustainability Management Student Association (SUMASA), recently earned his M.S. in Sustainability Management from Columbia University. With over a decade in commodities trading, he joined the program to pivot toward renewable energy and drive change in hard-to-decarbonize sectors. Focused on solar, wind, hydrogen, and biofuels, he tailored his coursework to gain both technical and strategic insight into the evolving energy landscape.

SUMA alum Kyle Jacobs discusses the intersection of sustainability and effective storytelling, and how we can leverage film and other media to drive impactful change. The TV series he is currently writing, titled 'I Don't Care, will incorporate the UN's Sustainable Development Goals into its environmentalist message and educate audiences on making sustainable choices while prioritizing compelling narratives.

As the grandson of a former NYC cab driver, Gary Weinstein, has long been fascinated by the unique opportunities and challenges urban transportation can offer. Now a SUMA alum, Gary remains passionate about developing and implementing large-scale sustainability initiatives in New York’s transportation industry. The SUMA program offered Gary an opportunity to learn from faculty who are leaders in their fields and join a robust and widespread alumni network, which he says exceeded his expectations. As sustainability manager at JFK Terminal 4, Gary has already overseen the achievement of a LEED platinum certification and the title of 'Greenest Aiport Terminal', but he aims to continue to develop relationships with high-value partners and guide JFKIAT to its net-zero goal.

Alicia Kurnia Liono reflects on her pivot from a career in wildlife conservation non-profits to ESG consulting and sustainable finance. Liono joined Columbia University's Sustainability Management (SUMA) program to learn more about the intersection of sustainability and finance, but she credits the hands-on consulting projects in her coursework for her success in landing various sustainability fellowships and freelancing roles during her studies. Since graduating, she has been advising financial corporations on nature strategies, sustainability implementation, and ESG risk management.