Alumni Shoutout: Max Teirstein '22 Tackles Lead Contamination in LA Soil

Congratulations to Max Teirstein EVST BS Environmental Studies, Political Science ‘22 for managing the CLEAN soil testing effort at USC to test for lead in areas affected by the LA fires and smoke plumes.  Contaminant Level Evaluation and Assessment for Neighborhoods (CLEAN) is a rapid response soil testing program from the USC Department of Earth Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, and Public Exchange. Anyone in Los Angeles who is concerned about the impacts of the fires on soil may participate in this program, at no cost.

Max is the Center for Public Exchange Climate & Sustainability Project Manager at the University of Southern California where he helps public and private sector actors build partnerships with faculty to inform climate & sustainability projects and governance. For each partner, he finds the right faculty member and funding opportunity to produce evidence-based decision-making and innovative new technologies with impact in the climate and sustainability space.

Max’s senior essay, An Index of Community Priorities to Inform Local Governance in New Haven, won The Library Map Prize.