Cindy Matuch, CSP class of 2024, attended the recent Plastic Pollution Summit and met Senator Whitehouse (D-R.I.) who is a plastic pollution champion! Cindy’s capstone project is supporting policy efforts on the state, federal, and international policy interface – primarily with the United Nations INC meetings on plastic pollution for the Global Plastic Treaty. Her methods include creating a science-policy interface developed across expert groups to ensure that the best available science, traditional knowledge, knowledge of indigenous peoples, and local knowledge systems inform the Global Plastic Treaty objectives and provisions. This will be achieved through conversations and relationship-building with global scientists and relevant interested parties and by translating scientific knowledge into policy-relevant language. Cindy is passionate about applying an interdisciplinary approach to reducing plastic pollution. As a CSP student, she is excited to connect policy, research, and action to tackle this issue during her capstone year. As of January 2023, Cindy serves as the Primary College member of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council.