NCA is excited to welcome our 2026 TIDALS Research Fellows: Ramisa, Saanvi, Pawel, Jonah, and Rachel!
For 10 weeks this summer, this cohort of five will be studying shoreline habitats in Newtown Creek, helping our ongoing marine-focused restoration projects, and contributing to ongoing field work research projects. Their work will support our larger efforts for improved water quality and increased habitat restoration. Say hi to them around the Creek, and stay tuned for public programming they’re be supporting in July and August.
The TIDALS Fellowship program is made possible with funding from a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Community Impact Grant.
Jonah Rurak is a CUNY BA student at Hunter College studying Environmental Humanities. He is from Brooklyn and has lived near Newtown Creek for years, making him especially excited to learn more about the creek and the efforts being made to restore it. His educational coursework has mostly focused on anthropology, philosophy, and history. He is interested in improving access to urban green spaces, environmental justice, and how communities interact with the ecosystems they live near.
Pawel Zyzanski is currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Management and a Minor in Controlled Environmental Agriculture at SUNY Cobleskill, and holds an Associate’s Degree in Environmental Science with a focus on Sustainable Urban Agriculture from LaGuardia Community College. Pawel was born in Poland and moved to Brooklyn at a young age with his family and has been in Greenpoint for over 10 years. His areas of interest include watershed management, restoration, forestry, hydroponics, aquaculture, remediation, soil science, and soil and water quality testing.
Rachel Mendoza is a senior at Queens College majoring in Environmental Science. A first-generation Mexican-American born and raised in NYC, she grew up in Astoria with her two older siblings, her parents, and her African Grey Parrot. She has always been drawn to science, and found her focus in Environmental Science while attending LaGuardia Community College, where Professor Holly Porter was a key influence. In the summer of 2024, she participated in SEMBRAR, a 10-week intensive internship through LAGCC guided by Dr. Preethi, Dr. Porter, and Dr. Nicolle, which took her to NYC urban farms and nonprofits including NCA, Connected Chef, Sunnyside Community Gardens, Queens Botanical Gardens, and green infrastructure sites in LIC. The internship centered on food justice, regenerative agriculture, and aquaponics. Her current interests include water sampling and metal concentration analysis, food justice, regenerative agriculture, air and water pollution, aquaponics, and green infrastructure.
Ramisa Rifa is a Biochemistry major and Earth and Atmospheric Sciences minor at City College of New York. Growing up in Queens near the Long Island Sound and Jamaica Bay gave her a deep interest in environmental science, sustainability, and the health of local water bodies. She has conducted research on Harmful Algal Blooms and climatology in the Long Island Sound, and her interests include aquatic microbiomes and toxicology, particularly how pollutants affect human and environmental health.
Saanvi Sherchan is a rising junior at Bowdoin College in Maine, originally from the Bronx, majoring in Biology with a minor in Earth and Oceanographic Science. She spent her childhood exploring green spaces — from hiking in state parks to playing in local spots like Van Cortlandt Park — which fostered her passion for nature and the relationship between humans and the environment. Her favorite urban ecology experiences include fish surveying, plant identification, and water quality sampling, all of which she looks forward to diving into as a TIDALS fellow this summer.
