Sam Lei '26 was a 2025-26 Environmental Ethics Fellow studying contributions to the human right to water with Caleigh Detels '26, and Andrew Schatz '26.
Learn more about Sam's project via her Showcase video presentation.
About Sam Lei '26
Sam Lei graduated from Santa Clara University with a major in Environmental Studies and four minors in Biology, Geospatial Analysis, Public Health, and Sustainability. She is from San Francisco, and her passion for environmental ethics began when she was exposed to the living conditions in Bayview Hunters Point, as communities were living in the aftereffects of naval shipyards used during nuclear warfare testing in WWII. The degradation of the community's livelihoods, the environment, and the relationship between them left a strong imprint on her. She applied for a PhD program focused on the intersection between hydrology, biogeochemistry, and public health to advocate for improved water quality amongst disadvantaged communities. Afterwards, she plans to pursue a research career at the federal level to promote effective policy supporting human and environmental rights.