iyai+ Fellows Announcement

At iyai+, we are proud to announce our 2026 Community-Builder Fellowship recipients, Alexandra Martin and Shakera Winbush. They embody the values of the late Dr. Juanita-Jones Abernathy, an iyai+ Founding Board Member. We thank the Mineta Transportation Institute and Southeastern Energy Futures Academy (SCEFA) for supporting this experiential learning opportunity.  Please visit the iyai+ website – www.iyai.org to find out more about the Dr. Juanita-Jones Abernathy Community-Builder Intern/Fellowship Program which provides a “paid” stipend – both How To “participate” and “support”.   Annually, applications are received and evaluated on a rolling basis.

SHAKERA WINBUSH Mobile, AL |Bachelor of Science, Mechanical Engineering, University of South Alabama, 2026

Shakera Winbush 2026 Dr. Juanita Jones-Abernathy Community-Builder Fellow | iyai+

For Shakera Winbush, engineering is fundamentally about people. As a graduating senior in Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Alabama, she has developed an impressive set of skills that blend technical expertise with a focus on human impact: designing solutions to real environmental issues and ensuring that affected communities can understand and apply these innovations. Raised in Mobile, Alabama, Shakera is intimately familiar with local environmental challenges and approaches them with both precision as an engineer and dedication as a community advocate and organizer.

At iyai+, Shakera uses her unique mix of technical skill and community engagement to contribute to clean energy, climate, community environmental health and equity projects. Her practical experiences speak volumes, from helping redesign a vessel for collecting microplastics in waterways to creating educational materials that make complex environmental data accessible to everyday communities. She recognizes that even the most well-designed solution falls short if those it serves can’t access, trust, or relate to it. This belief informs all her efforts, whether she’s leading sustainability workshops with Girl Plus Environmental Climate throughout the Southeast or mentoring students as a senior mathematics tutor to help them gain technical confidence.

As Shakera prepares for the next stage of her career, she perfectly represents the spirit of the Dr. Juanita Jones-Abernathy Community-Builder Fellowship—a young engineer whose achievements are measured by the positive impact on others. Both the city of Mobile and the broader environmental health and sustainability movement will benefit greatly from her work and presence.

Alexandra Martin Donaldsonville, LA| Bachelor of Science, Chemistry, Grambling State University, 2026

Alexandra Martin 2026 Dr. Juanita Jones-Abernathy Community-Builder Fellow | iyai+

Alexandra Martin joins the iyai+ fellowship with a background shaped by significant environmental justice challenges in Louisiana. Raised along the Mississippi River corridor, commonly referred to as “Cancer Alley” due to its history of industrial pollution impacting predominantly Black communities, she possesses firsthand knowledge of the intersections among environmental harm, racial inequity, and public health. Alexandra supplements her personal experience with a strong foundation in data-driven analysis, utilizing evidence and research to inform her studies and advocacy. This balanced approach has been a hallmark of her academic pursuits at Grambling State University, where she is completing her undergraduate degree and applying both intellectual rigor and personal commitment to environmental health, community, and global sustainability

At iyai+, Alexandra applies her evidence-based methodology to climate, clean energy transition, youth and community-centered environmental education initiatives, including participation in the organization’s exciting maritime careers project — designed to elevate and expand maritime career awareness and economic opportunities for all youth – with emphasis on historically under-represented communities. She demonstrates awareness of the empirical data regarding those disproportionately affected by environmental hazards, the lack of inclusion in climate solutions, and effective strategies for community engagement based on research findings. Her perspective is informed by direct experience with the communities represented by these statistics.

As Alexandra prepares to advance to graduate studies at the University of South Mississippi, she exemplifies the qualities recognized by the Dr. Juanita Jones-Abernathy Community-Builder Fellowship: an emerging leader who integrates lived experience with analytical expertise and understands that sustainable community transformation depends on both. Her contributions reflect the resilience and vision found within communities most impacted by the climate crisis, underscoring their role as agents of meaningful change.