Thomas VanderYacht is a second year graduate student in the Global Health and Environment MPH program at UC Berkeley School of Public Health. He is advised by Dr. Jay Graham and seeks to understand the ways in which climate change impacts health and drives the spread of antimicrobial resistance genes in the environment. His current work focuses on investigating the uptake of resistant bacteria into produce via polluted irrigation water in rural regions east of Quito, Ecuador. Thomas is dedicated to creatively and effectively communicating his research findings to communities, aiming to bridge the gap between academia and societal impact.