CleanAIRE NC is excited to welcome our 2025 summer interns! Caison Gray, Naami Abbey, Taft Harrell, Reniah Carroll, Mansi Agrawal, and Shruti Agrawal will be working with us on several of our priority projects, campaigns, and initiatives all summer long.
Get to know our summer associates for 2025:
Caison is a second-year masters student at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, focusing on Ecotoxicology & Environmental Health. While attending Davidson College, Caison completed two environmental-based study abroad programs through the School of Field Studies (SFS), conducting research in Bocas del Toro, Panama and Puerto Natales, Chile. She chose these two locations because they represent completely different environments, offering an opportunity to expand her environmental knowledge while improving her ability to adapt to surrounding circumstances.
Caison is deeply committed to environmental justice, environmental health, and social inequality. Having worked on environmental issues in Patagonia, Panama, and her home state of North Carolina, she has prioritized a global and varied perspective on the importance of environmental health and community engagement in her professional and personal life. Caison also previously interned for the Rachel Carson Council in Washington D.C. last summer, improving her understanding and experience with legislative issues.
Throughout her academic journey, Caison has honed skills in mixed-method research, writing, history, and leadership, all with a justice-oriented lens. She was born and raised in Cary, North Carolina, and graduated from Davidson College with degrees in Environmental Humanities and concentrations in Public Health and Spanish.
Naami Abbey is a rising Second-Year Levine Scholar at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, where she is pursuing a double major in Biology and Spanish with a minor in Chemistry. Her interests in preventive healthcare and the long-term implications of climate change on underserved communities led her to pursue a career in healthcare as a doctor, aiming to empower communities through treatment, wellness education, and sustainable environmental and healthcare practices.
At CleanAIRE NC, Naami will collaborate with Education Manager Rafealla Vaci to conduct pilot testing of the CleanAIRE NC Air Quality Academy. She is thrilled with the opportunity to foster a sense of communal awareness and more conversations concerning how everyday citizens can be empowered to make climate-conscious decisions. Outside of her work with CleanAIRE NC, Naami is an artist who enjoys cooking, ceramics, reading, spending time outside, and dancing.
Growing up in Reidsville, North Carolina, Taft found his love for the environment and the great outdoors through his experiences with the Scouts of America. While pursuing his studies in Environmental Studies and Computer Science at Davidson College, he also enjoys being part of the club tennis team and is proud to be a Bonner Scholar. Taft loves volunteering at the Davidson Community Garden, where he discovered his true passion for plants and environmental sustainability.
In his free time, Taft plays guitar, gardens, and hits the tennis court, all while cherishing moments with his friends, family, and beloved dogs. He is excited to become part of the team at CleanAIRE NC, where he can advocate for a healthier environment for everyone.
Reniah is originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, where she spent much of her childhood outside exploring the local wetlands and trails. These experiences made Reniah fall in love with nature, leading her to a prospective veterinary career working with both domesticated animals and injured wildlife. She is now pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in Environmental Studies and Geography at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.
Through her academic journey, Reniah has discovered a passion for environmental justice, which combines her love for people and nature. This became especially apparent after she took a class on Air Quality, which illustrated the critical impacts that many people are facing in already overburdened areas. The realization solidified her commitment to helping all communities live in environments that are safe, healthy, and resilient.
Reniah is particularly passionate about green infrastructure and public engagement, and is thrilled to be starting as a Summer Associate working on processes that align with these principles. She believes that community outreach and involvement like this are crucial in creating an equitable society here in the Carolinas.
Outside of work, Reniah enjoys gardening, reading, and volunteering with environmental organizations for conservation.
Hailing from Charlotte, NC, Mansi Agrawal is a graduate student at Boston University’s School of Public Health with a focus on healthcare management. She is passionate about environmental justice and health equity, issues she looks forward to working on during her time with CleanAIRE NC.
This summer Mansi is excited by the opportunity to support planning for CleanAIRE NC’s annual NC BREATHE Conference in the fall, and to contribute to community-driven solutions that strengthen resilience and improve health across North Carolina.
Shruti Agrawal is a rising sophomore at the University of California, Berkeley, where she is majoring in public health and business with a minor in data science. Born in Norfolk, Virginia and raised in Charlotte, NC, she developed a passion for environmental and health equity after seeing firsthand how community voices are often left out of policy conversations. At Berkeley, she’s involved in the Cal Undergraduate Public Health Coalition, Women on Wall Street, and the Bio-Business Initiative, where she explores how finance, healthcare, and sustainability intersect.
With previous experience at the City of Charlotte’s Sustainability Office and as founder of her own nonprofit, New Normal X, which engages youth in climate action through creative challenges, Shruti brings a strong background in outreach, youth engagement, and data-driven storytelling to CleanAIRE NC.
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