Meet a master’s student whose dedication to nature began at the nearby Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Growing up in nearby Stow, Ohio, Case Western Reserve University master’s student Vibha Mandayam (CWR ’25) spent her childhood admiring the Cuyahoga Valley National Park, developing an appreciation and protectiveness of nature.
Now, she’s turning that dedication into action as an intern helping organize the Midwest Climate Summit (MCC). Held annually, this event brings together scholars, professionals and industry leaders to tackle climate crisis issues affecting the Midwest region. This year’s summit is being hosted at Case Western Reserve University this week, with events held in Tinkham Veale University Center through April 1.
Mandayam, who earned her bachelor’s from CWRU in spring 2025 and is now pursuing a master of computer science, has been tasked with leading efforts to engage students in the summit, including organizing volunteers, matching mentor-mentee pairs, and planning a student meeting. She also is piloting two new offerings: a student sustainability career information session and a student poster contest.
“As someone who has spent most of my life in Northeast Ohio, I am extremely grateful to connect with those addressing climate challenges in the Midwest through the MCC,” Mandayam said.
In addition to exposing her to event planning and coordination, her role as a student intern with the summit has given Mandayam valuable insights into career opportunities in sustainability.
“This summit has also given me lifelong connections to incredible people doing incredible work, and I hope to continue building climate resilience and education in the Midwest,” she said.
Sustainability has been a consistent theme throughout Mandayam’s time at CWRU. She’s served as a sustainability ambassador with the Office of Energy and Sustainability, recently earning one of the office’s Sustainability Champion Awards for her efforts.
She’s also incorporated it into her research at the Solar Durability and Lifetime Extension (SDLE) Research Center alongside Roger H. French, PhD. Mandayam’s research involves developing a framework for spatially indexing vast amounts of geospatio-temporal data and making this data FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable).
“I joined this lab in my first semester of undergraduate studies, and it has provided me space to grow as a researcher and discover more intersections between my passions for data science and the environment,” she said.
Learn more about Mandayam’s work.
Answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
1. What initially drew you to CWRU?
I was initially drawn to CWRU for my undergraduate studies since CWRU was one of the few universities with an accredited undergraduate program in data science and analytics at the time. Later on, I discovered the integrated bachelor’s-master’s program and decided to stay at the university to complete a master’s in computer science.
2. Why did you choose your area of study?
I was originally drawn to computer and data sciences due to a strong interest in math and technology. I also became more interested in environmental modeling and the use of computer and data sciences for climate-related research.
3. How have you combined your interests in climate work and computer science?
Primarily through research, I have been able to explore intersections between climate science and computer science. At the CWRU SDLE Research Center, I have been part of several geospatial data studies that tie together environmental modeling and materials reliability. We have also partnered with the NSF Engineering Research Center CASFER (Center for Advancing Sustainable and Distributed Fertilizer Production) to perform large-scale environmental modeling and evaluate the social, environmental, and economic impacts of nitrogen-based fertilizers. These experiences have allowed me to combine my interests while contributing to projects with real-world impact.
4. Anything else you'd like to share?
I'd love to shout out Charis Egland-Smith and Sadie Neuman, who have been pivotal to helping put together student programming, on top of being incredible MCC mentors! Charis, Sadie and the rest of the MCC team, as well as the planning committee, have been extremely hard-working and supportive throughout the year, and I am eager to see the fruits of all our efforts at the Midwest Climate Summit.
