Josh Lappen, a lifelong Southern Californian, will graduate from Stanford University with a BA in Classics and an MS in Atmosphere/Energy Engineering. He has pursued his intersecting interests in climate politics, energy engineering, and environmental history through internships in the Department of the Interior and the California State Senate, and through research on electrical grid regionalization, carbon-pricing policy, and subnational participation in international climate negotiations. In tandem with his academic work, Josh has been a leading campus climate activist, and has covered the COP21 climate negotiations in Paris and the coal transition in the rural American West through both freelance and grant-supported journalism. Outside of his studies, he is an avid backpacker and SCUBA diver. As a Marshall Scholar, Josh plans to pursue an MSt in American History with a focus on American coal and water development in the 20^th century.