{"id":22382,"date":"2026-10-15T14:04:07","date_gmt":"2026-10-15T18:04:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/?p=22382"},"modified":"2026-10-15T14:21:07","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T18:21:07","slug":"qa-with-cailey-mingolla","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/news\/qa-with-cailey-mingolla\/","title":{"rendered":"Climate Change Communication at the RI Department of Environmental Management: Q&A with Cailey Mingolla"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As a double major in environmental science and management and political science, University of Rhode Island student Cailey Mingolla sought out an experiential learning opportunity that related to both her areas of study. She found it in the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management\u2019s Director\u2019s Office, where she was placed as a Senior Extension Fellow through URI Cooperative Extension\u2019s <\/em>Environmental Fellows Program<\/em><\/a>.

The year-long, paid program pairs URI students with public- and private-sector mentors on real environmental management projects, alongside coursework, summer industry training, and professional development. Mingolla, who was also a 2025 Agriculture and Food Systems Fellow<\/a>, now serves as the URI Extension Fellowship Program Assistant.<\/em>

Q. Tell us about your host organization. What drew you to this fellowship placement?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A. This year, I am placed with the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), specifically in the Director\u2019s office focusing on climate change communications. I was particularly drawn to this role because it gave me the opportunity to combine both of my majors, Environmental Science and Management<\/a> and Political science<\/a>. My direct mentor is Elizabeth Stone, a policy analyst who has been extremely supportive in helping me gain exposure in the RI environmental policy field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What does your work involve? <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a Climate Change Communications Fellow, I work alongside RIDEM\u2019s climate policy team in the Director\u2019s office on projects and programs related to communicating issues related to climate change in Rhode Island. I assist with RIDEM efforts to: communicate climate change in a way that resonates with audiences in RI; focus on communicating the challenges of addressing climate change in RI and potential solutions; and, assist with research and analysis of climate data, policies, and practices to support communication initiatives. Some of my responsibilities include data collection, report writing, social media, event planning, and community outreach. I consistently join meetings (in person) for the RI Executive Climate Change Coordinating Council (RIEC4) and its two advisory bodies, the Advisory Board and the Science and Technical Advisory Board.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What has been the most rewarding part of the experience so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During my time with the Department of Environmental Management, what has stood out to me as something that is particularly unique to Rhode Island and this learning experience is the interconnectedness of the environmental field. I have been able to observe how different organizations support each other in reaching a common goal. In the academic space, everyone is so willing to teach each other things that are outside their area of expertise and trade materials. The focus is truly around relaying accurate and honest science to inform equitable solutions for the Rhode Island community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How has the fellowship complemented what you\u2019re learning in the classroom?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fellowship experience has been vital in allowing me to see the principles we\u2019re taught in class in action. It\u2019s one thing to read about the challenges associated with environmental policy change, it\u2019s another to observe it in real time and be a part of some of those discussions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond your work at RIDEM, the fellowship includes professional development opportunities. Which have been most helpful?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most insightful experience for me was a session with CJ Sanchez,<\/a> a URI Career Education Specialist, regarding resume building, interviewing, and job applications. He provided insight into some of the strategies that can be used to convey your skills and experiences in the most beneficial way to attract the attention of employers. In this session, he touched on strategies specific to AI recruiters and what can be done to stand out in an increasingly technology-reliant world.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
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Mingolla and Dr. Jean VanderGheynst, Dean of the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, at URI Day at the Statehouse.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

What has it been like working with Cooperative Extension Fellowship program leaders, Kate Venturini Hardesty and Sejal Lanterman?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate and Sejal have been the most supportive mentors I have ever had. They have truly shaped my undergraduate experience and taught me in ways I never could have been taught in a classroom. They allow me to be unafraid to make mistakes and always help to figure out solutions for improvement. I have grown so much personally and academically alongside them in the last two years. I will always be grateful for their guidance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Has the fellowship changed how you think about your field or your plans after graduation?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This fellowship was important for me in that it allowed me to walk into spaces I wouldn\u2019t otherwise get to observe. As an environmental science and management student, I intentionally chose a field with a wide reach and sought the college experience to help me decipher what specific path I wanted to pursue. Getting to pull back the curtain on some RI organizations and sectors and hear insight from members of those agencies about what working in a career in their sector truly entailed is something that would not have been possible for me in a classroom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is there anything else you\u2019d like people to know about the fellowship?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is becoming increasingly important to showcase to employers that you have gained experience in a nontraditional setting before graduation. I feel honored to have experienced this fellowship and enter the workforce after graduation with this asset.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more about the Environmental Management Fellows Program and other Extension Fellowships by visiting: <\/em>uri.edu\/coopext\/get-involved<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a double major in environmental science and management and political science, University of Rhode Island student Cailey Mingolla sought out an experiential learning opportunity that related to both her areas of study. She found it in the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management\u2019s Director\u2019s Office, where she was placed as a Senior Extension Fellow through URI Cooperative Extension\u2019s Environmental Fellows Program.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1089,"featured_media":22383,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[26],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1089"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22382"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":22387,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22382\/revisions\/22387"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/cels\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}