The idea to participate in the COP talks was first raised in 2013 by Cassandra O’Lenick, a Ph.D. student in Environmental Health advised by Dr. Stefanie Sarnat.
Together with Sarnat, Professor Daniel Rochberg in the departments of Environmental Science and Rollins School of Public Health, and Dr. Eri Saikawa in the department of Environmental Sciences. This group questioned why Emory was not accredited with observer status to the COP talks and put together a document for submission to request the official status. At the time, there were around 20 other universities that had that status.
