Summer 2025 Intern

Brianna Schaff is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Texas at Austin majoring International Relations and Global Studies with a focus in Science, Technology, and the Environment, with a minor in Government. She is a Liberal Arts Honors/Plan I Scholars student. In her final year of study she will pursue a senior thesis concerning international climate change mitigation with a focus on international energy security.

Brianna has previously held executive and volunteer positions for several nonprofit organizations in Austin, including Project Princess and Citizens Climate Lobby. She regularly participates in grassroots advocacy and lobbying activities to promote civic engagement in local climate change resolutions. She is passionate about learning and working towards policy initiatives for energy innovation, sustainable development, and environmental protection.

Summer 2025 Intern

Emmie Stumbo is currently a third-year Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry at the University of Texas at Austin. She brings a strong interdisciplinary background that combines scientific rigor with community advocacy and policy engagement. With a B.S. in Biochemistry and minors in Political Science and Biology from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, her academic and research experience centers on sustainable catalysis and transition metal chemistry. Her graduate work, focused on hydrogenase-inspired catalysis and cofactor-protein interactions, has helped inspire her interest in clean energy systems and advocacy for science-backed policy.

Beyond the lab, Emmie has led several initiatives in safety, inclusion, and education. She has served as co-president of the Chemistry Student Safety Organization, a Safety-First Leadership Fellow, and an organizer with Students for Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility. Through these roles, she has facilitated departmental workshops, developed risk-reduction frameworks, and advocated for equitable research funding. Her cross-sector experience—spanning research, teaching, and public service— facilitates her transition into energy policy development, especially in areas where science, equity, and environmental responsibility intersect.

Fall 2025 Intern

Zoey Kaul is a recent graduate from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Arts in Government and Sustainability Studies and a Bridging Disciplines Certificate in Smart Cities. During her time in school, she completed an Honors Government Thesis that explored how city-level policy promoting composting can mitigate the effects of climate change by reducing landfill methane emissions.

Zoey also spent her undergraduate years in multiple leadership roles advancing sustainability and climate action: Creative Director and President of Longhorns Don’t Litter, Founder and President of UT’s chapter of Plant Futures Initiative, Director of Education for Students Fighting Climate Change, Campaign Coordinator for the Texas Public Interest Research Group, Zero-Waste Consultant for the Campus Environmental Center’s Green Events Team, Legislator for Student Government’s Sustainability Caucus, and Member of Longhorn Urbanists. She’s most interested in how policy can be used to promote a less wasteful, and more sustainable society for all. Next, she’s aspiring to attend law school to become an even more effective actor in the environmental justice movement. In her free time, Zoey enjoys playing piano/guitar/violin/ukulele, hiking, cooking, and painting.

Fall 2025 Intern

Anthony Gonzalez is a student at The University of Texas at Austin, studying Economics and Government with a Business minor. His research on the impact of Bitcoin mining on the Texas power grid highlights his interest in how innovation and policy shape Texas’s energy future.

He has gained experience in both legislative and legal settings. During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, Anthony served as a Legislative Intern for Representative Harold V. Dutton, where he conducted research, analyzed legislative materials, and supported the development of policy initiatives. He later worked as a Legal Intern with Wauson | King in Sugar Land, Texas, assisting attorneys across commercial, bankruptcy, consumer, insurance, and real estate litigation. In this role, he conducted legal research, prepared case materials, and contributed to trial preparation and filings.

A Houston native, Anthony understands the vital role energy plays in the state’s growth and is eager to help explore solutions that strengthen its future. In his free time, he enjoys tennis, Formula 1, and traveling.

Fall 2025 Intern

Diego Guerra is a Junior at the University of Texas at Austin majoring in Environmental Science on the Biology Track with the College of Natural Sciences. In addition to being a student and now intern with PowerHouse Texas, Diego is also the treasurer for the largest co-ed prelaw organization on campus, the Texas Prelaw Honor Society. Diego hopes to begin his capstone this coming year working with PhD candidate Elena Leander in the Wolf Lab at UT Austin researching mycorrhizal networks and the specificity of plant-fungi relationships in soil microbiomes. Diego spent this most recent summer interning at the Law Office of Jorge Luis Ortegon II in his hometown of McAllen, Texas where he accompanied Mr. Ortegon to court, sitting in on and learning about the Family Law process and aiding in the formation of a basic information sheet for future clients at the firm. After undergrad, Diego plans on going to law school and becoming an Environmental Lawyer with a focus in land-use and resource management law. In his free time Diego likes to read books, play Mario Kart, explore Austin’s creeks, and put together playlists.

Fall 2025 Intern

Tommy Wan (he/him) is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin, studying Civil Engineering, Government, and Plan II. He works on youth civic engagement, urban policy, community development, and voter education in Houston. Tommy has worked in the U.S. Congress with Congresswoman Fletcher, the Texas House with Representative Ray Lopez, the Texas Senate with Senator Johnson, the UT System, and as a council aide at the Houston City Council for five summers. He has also been an E Pluribus Unum Fellow, a Future Leaders Fellow at Harvard Law School, and a participant in the Texas Mock Trial program, participating as both an attorney and treasurer. His experience includes research with Dr. Kasey Faust at the Cockrell School, writing as an opinion columnist for The Daily Texan, engaging in AANHPI advocacy with OCA-Greater Houston, working on environmental justice initiatives with Mi Familia Vota, and now focusing on energy policy with PowerHouse Texas. He’s most interested in policies around infrastructure, urban planning, transportation, aviation, climate-resilient systems, and Texas energy. In his free time, Tommy enjoys running, flying planes, playing pickleball and saxophone, reading nonfiction, and mentoring students in Alief ISD.