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Skip to main contentResident Leaders at Explore Energy House 2024-2025
Varun Shirhatti

Varun is a senior and coterminal Master’s student from Bangalore, India and San Diego, CA, majoring in Earth Systems. He’s interested in ecology and land management, and particularly nature-based approaches to sustainability. This year, Varun is an Earth Systems Student Advisor, sings with Stanford Talisman, and teaches public speaking. Varun was an RA at Explore Energy House in 2023-24, and was also the director of Students for a Sustainable Stanford. Outside of academics, he likes to read, make music, and get outside for hikes (not necessarily in that order). He’s always happy to catch a meal and/or chat about anything at all – classes, life, or whatever else comes to mind!
Valeria Cartagena Vaca

Valeria is a junior from Bolivia majoring in Chemical Engineering. She’s deeply passionate about clean energy technologies—especially hydrogen, electrochemistry, and CO₂ reduction—as part of building a more sustainable energy future. She’s conducted research on green hydrogen production, with the goal of scaling these innovations for a worldwide impact. On campus, Valeria is actively involved in ChemE Car, the Stanford Energy Club, and the Stanford Sustainable Investment Group. Beyond her academic interests, she enjoys reading, cooking, and diving into futuristic ideas!
Nomin Bayarsaikhan

Nomin is a senior from Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia studying Electrical Engineering. She’s interested in the intersection of engineering and climate change, specifically the decarbonization of the electric grid. Nomin has been on the leadership team of Stanford’s Society of Women Engineers and has also organized events like a solar-powered lamp making workshop as a co-lead of the Engineers for Sustainable World club. Nomin enjoys crocheting, going to social dance events and rock climbing in her free time.
Zach Mouza

Zach is a junior from Seattle, Washington majoring in Bioengineering. He’s interested in developing novel technologies that help solve problems pertaining to sustainability, like food systems and climate change. Zach formerly worked in the Petrov Lab, an Ecology/Evolutionary Biology lab where he conducted research about pesticide resistance in fruit flies. Now Zach works in the Feig Lab, a Mechanical Engineering lab about using hydrogels for novel treatments. Outside of school, Zach enjoys playing cards and videogames, reading mystery books, and showing pictures of his cat.
Alison Fajardo

Alison is a junior from New Jersey majoring in Chemical Engineering and minoring in Biology. As a first-generation student, she is proud of her Ecuadorian background. She loves all things soil! Her future goals are to use bioengineering tools with a focus on regenerative agriculture to create more equitable food systems. Alison is a Zero Waste Intern for the Office of Sustainability and a research assistant under the Coleman lab. Outside of academics and jobs, she enjoys documentaries, thrifting, playing volleyball, drawing, going on off-campus adventures, and gymming.
Sebastian Esteva

Sebastian is a junior, FLI, Mexican-American, with a love for long evening walks, climbing, and listening to way too many audiobooks. He’s a Bio-mechanical engineering major and has a passion for the humanities, like law, film, and politics. Sebastian is in SENSA consulting and is the Course Coordinator for Mind over Money, Stanford's financial literacy program. Catch him anytime for a talk about intersectional energy issues, life, or just about the house ('24-'25 will be his third year with the Energy dorm!).
Resident Leaders at Explore Energy House 2025-2026
Amanda Campos

Amanda Campos (she/her) is a rising senior studying environmental and energy policy and justice. Born in the iconic city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, she moved to the 20-million-people, skyscrapers-filled São Paulo when she was 4 years old and then to South Florida when she was 13. She is a climate justice activist, a cloud lover, and would do anything for dragons to be real. She has worked at an environmental conservancy, at the Department of Justice's environmental division, and in environmental justice policy advocacy. She dreams of going to law school to study environmental law and make Big Oil polluters pay.
Sebastian Esteva

Sebastian is a rising senior, FLI, Mexican-American, with a love for long evening walks, climbing, and listening to way too many audiobooks. He’s a Bio-mechanical engineering major and has a passion for the humanities, like law, film, and politics. Sebastian is in SENSA consulting and is the Course Coordinator for Mind over Money, Stanford's financial literacy program. Catch him anytime for a talk about intersectional energy issues, life, or just about the house ('25-'26 will be his fourth year with the Energy dorm!).
Valeria Cartagena Vaca

Valeria is a junior from Bolivia majoring in Chemical Engineering. She’s deeply passionate about clean energy technologies—especially hydrogen, electrochemistry, and CO₂ reduction—as part of building a more sustainable energy future. She’s conducted research on green hydrogen production, with the goal of scaling these innovations for a worldwide impact. On campus, Valeria is actively involved in ChemE Car, the Stanford Energy Club, and the Stanford Sustainable Investment Group. Beyond her academic interests, she enjoys reading, cooking, and diving into futuristic ideas!
Lisa Fung

Lisa is a rising junior from the Bay Area, studying Computer Science. Lisa enjoys leading the SMesh project to build Environmental Sensors for Fire Management, and she has a passion for utilizing technology to create sustainable solutions. Previously, Lisa served as a Stanford Shultz Energy Fellow at the Western Area Power Administration (WAPA), quantifying wildfire risks along WAPA’s 1,700 miles of transmission lines. She has also conducted research on utility wildfire mitigation preparedness with the Climate and Energy Policy Program (CEPP). In her free time, Lisa enjoys hiking the Dish, building fun projects at Lab64, crocheting, and she’s always open to chat or play sports!
Anders Luffman

Anders is a rising senior in Energy Science and Engineering with minors in Public Policy and Computer Science, and he is pursuing a coterminal masters degree in Management Science and Engineering. Anders' interests include energy policy, electricity regulation, and grid revitalization. He has experience in the energy consulting field, with an internship at TRC companies and Baringa. Outside of the classroom, Anders plays on the club rugby team, is an executive in the Energy Club, and enjoys all sorts of outdoor activities. Don’t hesitate to ask Anders about professional development, the Stanford social scene, or the meaning of life!
Lizbeth Zambrano-Sanchez

Lizbeth is a junior descending from land defenders in Michoacán, Mexico to farm workers and gardeners in East Los Angeles. She is a FLI junior majoring in Earth Systems and minoring in Native American studies. She is interested in tackling green colonialism—how the resources needed for renewable energy can threaten Indigenous land and people. Outside of energy, she loves reading poetry and memoirs, swimming, and Regional Mexican music. She is so excited to be a house leader and help students feel supported and comfortable on campus!