Alyssa is a Ph.D. student in Environmental Engineering and an NSF-NRT TREAWS Fellow at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Alyssa is currently investigating how emerging contaminants like PFAS move through coastal waters and interact with organic matter. Alyssa earned a Honors B.S. in Marine Science with Distinction and Honors B.A. in Public Policy at the University of Delaware in 2025. Throughout their undergraduate degree, Alyssa conducted research on fate and transport of microplastics in coastal systems, carbon cycling in hydrothermal vents, and assessing climate vulnerability in Mid-Atlantic states. Beyond the lab, Alyssa co-founded the Aquatic Project and served as president of Sunrise Newark, bringing the same rigor they apply to water quality research to climate justice and environmental advocacy. Their goal as an ambassador is to make environmental science accessible and equitable by connecting research to communities impacted by plastic pollution.