lone pine

Sydney Wuu

Class of 2024
Sydney Wuu '24

Bio 

Hey all! So excited to see you here. My name is Sydney and I'm a '24 passionate about energy, education, the environment, and economic policy. I grew up in Southern California, but have also lived abroad in Gibraltar, Spain, and the Philippines. When not blogging or working at McNutt as a Senior Admissions Fellow, you can catch me involved in the Dartmouth Energy Alliance, Energy Justice Clinic, and Greek Life. I hope my blog can give you a window into Dartmouth from a student's perspective.

Academic Program 

Majors in Economics and Environmental Studies, Minor in International Studies

Favorite Thing Right Now 

The Student Wellness Center massage chairs

Hometown 

Pasadena, California

Pronouns 

she/her/hers

You are here

Sydney's D-Plan

What's a D-Plan?

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Introduction to Education: Learning, Development, and Teaching

      Taught by Professor Tine, this class focused on many interdisciplinary topics within the field of education. I loved learning about the significance of early pre-K interventions on long-term behaviors, the layered complexities of the American public school system, the neuroscience behind how the brain processes new information, and much more!

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Global Health & Society

      As someone interested in international studies, this course opened my eyes to the complex world of global health – both the biological and social sides of achieving equity. I found this class especially applicable given the COVID-19 pandemic and often transfer knowledge from Global Health & Society into my everyday life.

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Searching for Justice

      Searching for Justice is a perfect blend of studying literature and law. Highlights from this course include an op-ed I produced on anti-Asian hate crimes and a fictional short story adaptation based on Japanese internment camps from Korematsu v. United States. This first-year seminar exposed me to many different court cases, and I’m now strongly considering a future career in law!

    • SummerClaremont, California

      I spent my summer back home in Southern California, working at my high school alma mater as a Summer Fellow for their Junior Scholars program. I had a wonderful time designing curriculum for the Journalism program, planning activities for middle schoolers, and providing support in the dorms. I also spent quality time with my cousins and bonded with family by the beach.

    • FallOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Marine Policy

      I am an aquaphile, a lover of all things related to the water. This environmental studies course on Marine Policy was perfect for me because it dove into how humans have impacted the oceans. From coastal development to deep sea mining, we explored how to think like a policymaker and consider the many different stakeholders involved in global marine issues.

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: The Practice of Science Policy and Diplomacy

      Wow, the Practice of Science Policy and Diplomacy was a blast! I was eager to get to class early every day for this Public Policy seminar. Professor Burkins introduced me to writing effective policy memos, participating in a Model Arctic Council simulation, and presenting our SDG 7: Affordable & Clean Energy recommendations with a state coalition.

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Energy Justice

      Energy Justice examined issues of culture, power, and inequity in the necessary shift away from fossil fuels. Taught as a Social Impact Practicum, this class deepened my interest in pursuing a career in energy and environmental law. During junior year, I’m excited to continue working with Professor Kelly as a Presidential Scholar researching justice and accountability in corporate energy systems.

    • SummerOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Agroecology

      During my Sophomore Summer, I really enjoyed studying food systems and accessing Dartmouth’s Organic Farm as our lab for Professor Ong’s Agroecology course. It was an incredible New England summer experience learning to visualize data in R, conducting fieldwork outdoors, and working as a team on scientific research projects. A term highlight was tasting freshly tapped maple syrup from Dartmouth’s very own Sugar Crew!

    • FallLondon, England

      Favorite Class: Economic History

      I was one of six Dartmouth Economics exchange students at University College London this term. All four of my modules—UCL’s equivalent of classes—gave me a new perspective on Economics and Geography through a British lens. Economic History was my favorite as we studied industrialization, the demographic transition, and the East Asian economic miracle after World War II. I grew a deep appreciation for how the events of our past can offer important lessons for us today and into the future.

    • WinterNew York, New York

      Since Dartmouth students typically spend their Sophomore Summer on campus, the D-Plan allows us to take a different term off to develop personally and professionally. I spent my off-term working as a corporate legal assistant intern at a law firm in New York City. It was such a thrill to live and work in the Big Apple! With many fellow Dartmouth '24s also in the NYC area, my days out of the office were full of yummy food, catching up with old friends, and exploring iconic city sights.

    • SpringOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Writing and Speaking Public Policy

      Drawing upon disciplines like law, psychology, and popular culture, Writing and Speaking Public Policy was all about becoming more persuasive communicators. Professor Kalish provided us with such thoughtful, detailed feedback on our assignments and arranged for class field trips to the Jones Media Center and Hood Museum of Art. I especially enjoyed the flexibility offered for our small group media campaign project, where I created a children’s book on the benefits of bringing universal pre-K to New Hampshire.

    • SummerMystic, Connecticut

      During my junior summer, I interned as a Yale Conservation Scholar at Mystic Aquarium. Working in the Education & Conservation department, I mentored high school interns about marine science communication and public engagement. Besides attending weekly professional development workshops with the Yale School of the Environment, I also helped out with summer camps, traveling classroom programs, and citizen science projects.

    • FallSouth Africa and Namibia

      Favorite Class: Dartmouth’s Environmental Studies Foreign Study Program (FSP)

      I traveled to Southern Africa for the first time with Dartmouth’s Environmental Studies FSP. From conducting research on invertebrate diversity in the Namib Desert to speaking with community members at Uibasen-Twyfelfontein Conservancy, we studied Namibia's socio-ecological systems. Highlights from this incredible trip include experiencing game drives at Etosha National Park, discussing ecotourism at the Cheetah Conservation Fund, and learning about Namibia’s integrated coastal zone management approach with government officials from the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources.

    • WinterOn Campus

      Favorite Class: Econometrics

      Econometrics was a pleasant surprise! While I came into this statistics-heavy course without a Stata coding background, Professor Fetter’s amazing explanations helped me feel confident about the new material. I learned so much about the assumptions required for causality and now feel equipped with the analytical tools to evaluate Economic research papers in an entirely different light.

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A Peek into a Sophomore's Fall Classes

As a sophomore looking back, my first year at Dartmouth was surely a time of exploration. I took four different intro classes, dove into the social sciences, and learned a ton about both those departments as well as my own individual interests. As an Economics and Environmental Studies double major, I am taking classes in these two departments this term and couldn't be happier! Let's dive into my schedule:

  1. No. 1

    ECON 39: International Trade

    sydney wuu econ39

    ECON 39: International Trade is all about the fascinating, complex ways nations trade with one another and why they engage in such behavior. We have observed the differences between autarky and free trade prices on various graphs, proved the gains of trade mathematically from comparative advantage, and dissected Walras’s Law. Today, Professor Staiger used a real-life example of Japan’s historical self-imposed 200 years of autarky (a period of no trade) to learn about the differences between Hicksian and Slutsky compensation measures. The Economics department at Dartmouth is outstanding and Professor Staiger is extremely knowledgeable about International Economics. As a sophomore thinking about the International track for the Economics major, this course has been a fantastic immersion into the world of global trade!

  2. No. 2

    ENVS 17: Marine Policy

    sydney wuu envs17

    ENVS 17: Marine Policy has been a blast. Each week brings a new topic—so far we’ve been learning about coastal development, deep sea mining, and pollution, with concepts like artisanal fisheries, aquaculture, and climate change yet to come! I love the liberal arts because it allows me to explore classes I am truly passionate about. My classmates and I all love the ocean and joined ENVS 17 to learn more about marine life and human impact on the seven seas. A few of the many broader concepts we’ve covered so far include problem narratives, power disconnects, temporal myopia, and ecosystem services that help us understand how to think like policymakers. We apply our knowledge each week to our specific, place-based Friday community essays and have been using an online software called Perusall to annotate electronically with our peers and build upon one another’s ideas for our readings. Professor Webster is a powerhouse in her field and has been sharing her research of harmful algal blooms in the Chesapeake Bay with us. I’m excited for what’s to come!

  3. No. 3

    ENVS 3: Environment and Society

    sydney wuu envs3

    ENVS 3: Environment & Society is an awesome introductory course in the Environmental Studies department, pulling upon topics from economics, human geography, government, biology and more. It is designed as a broad-based class, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get specific. Professor Erbaugh and Professor Howarth have done an excellent job of giving us case studies and detailed descriptions of topics like the London smog helping place pollution control on the 1950s policy agenda, Indonesian community-based forest management, the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments, and the stark differences between Hobbes and Locke’s philosophies. We have our first midterm coming up later this week so I’ve been studying with friends and reviewing lecture slides from class. I feel already much more well-versed in environmental studies than I did before joining this class.

Posted 10/7/2021 at 9:00 AMAll List Posts

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