Rhianna Irao is an Environmental Sciences major at UC Berkeley with interests in environmental justice, food systems, and the intersection of culture and natural resources. Rhianna owes her passion for conservation to her parents’ experiences growing up in the Philippines, as well as her own experiences growing up in rural areas of the Central Valley. She is dedicated to protecting communities who face disproportionate impacts of pollution and climate change, while working towards more equitable systems of natural resource management.
With her passion for conservation, Rhianna works as a General Collections Assistant for the University and Jepson Herbaria. She is involved in UC Berkeley’s Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program, studying historical connections of environmental and racial injustice in New Orleans.
As a first-generation college student, Rhianna also deeply values education and ensuring equitable access to educational opportunities. She serves as the 2025-26 Outreach Director for the bridges Multicultural Resource Center, which aims to recruit and retain low-income, first-generation students of color in higher education. She is also a Tutor Fellow for Elevate Tutoring, which delivers STEM tutoring to underserved K-12 schools in the Bay Area.
Through all endeavors, Rhianna aims to honor her roots and pay it forward to underserved communities like those that she came from.
Major(s): Environmental Science
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