Giancarlo Ceja

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About Giancarlo

Giancarlo Ceja is a first-generation, Latine senior at the University of Southern California earning a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies and International Relations, with a minor in Web Technologies and Applications. His passion lies within environmental justice, striving to create climate mitigation policy that protects the marginalized communities most susceptible to the climate crisis. This pursuit was spurred by his upbringing, growing up in a low-income migrant community in Southern California that was disproportionately affected by phenomena such as Urban Heat Islands (UHIs) and air pollution. This led him to be part of the second class of EH MATTERS fellows at the USC Environmental Health Center, where he developed an independent project analyzing the severity of the UHI Phenomenon in his home county of Riverside, California. His focus on disadvantaged communities then led him to South Korea as a USC Global Fellow, where he assisted in the expansion of his company’s air-purification technology to global south nations with severe air pollution.   Back at home in Southern California, Giancarlo has been active in coastal research and policy, conducting citizen science projects with USC Sea Grant and commenting publicly against harmful marine development through Heal the Bay. He also continues to be heavily involved in the federal government, first interning for the district office of Congressman Jimmy Gomez and currently serving as an intern for the U.S. Geological Survey, where he is currently organizing the first International Invasive Species and Climate Change Conference. During the Summer of 2023, he interned in the U.S. Department of Transportation advancing environmental justice compliance and community aid programs, while also completing the in-person programming for the Humanity in Action Fellowship. This fall he was part of the USC Climate Justice Lab led by Dr. Shannon Gibson, where he researched the justice implications of climate financing at COP28 and interviewed key activists in the justice movement.   As a Gilman Scholar, Giancarlo will be conducting two independent research projects focused on eco-anxiety and coastal migration induced by climate change at the University of Queensland this spring. In the future, Giancarlo strives to earn an MPP and JD to continue preparing for a career in environmental policy, fighting for proper climate mitigation and community protection on the federal and international levels. Outside of university, he is an avid fútbol fan, music enthusiast, and the Clarinet Section Leader of the USC Trojan Marching Band! Giancarlo is on track to receive his BA from the University of Southern California in May 2024.

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