Abhishek Gupta graduated in December 2025 with a dual degree from the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS) and the Erb Institute at the Ross School of Business. He specialized in Sustainable Systems and Environmental Policy and Planning at SEAS.

What did you do before coming to SEAS?

Before coming to SEAS, I worked as a data scientist where I used data and analytics to help teams make better decisions and solve complex product problems. I enjoyed the work and learned a lot from it, especially how to break down messy problems and turn them into practical solutions. But over time, I started asking myself a different question: What did I want to apply those skills to?

Growing up in the Indian Himalayas, I saw firsthand how deeply people’s lives are shaped by nature and how vulnerable communities can be when that balance is disturbed. Back home, climate change was no longer something abstract or far away. It showed up in prolonged summer droughts, sudden flash floods, and the growing uncertainty that communities had to live with from one season to the next. Witnessing that made the issue deeply personal for me and pushed me to think much more seriously about the kind of work I wanted to pursue in the long run.

SEAS felt like the right place to make that transition. I wanted an environment where I could build a deeper understanding of energy, climate and policy, while still bringing my technical background with me. I came to Michigan hoping to connect those worlds, and that is exactly what my time at SEAS allowed me to do.

What have been some highlights of your time at SEAS?

Some of my favorite memories from SEAS go all the way back to orientation at the U-M Biological Station. It was such a simple experience on the surface—just a couple of days spent getting to know people in a low-pressure setting—but it ended up shaping so much of my time in the program. The classmates I spent the most time with during those two days turned out to be the same people I stayed close to over the next two years. Looking back, it was one of the best parts of the SEAS experience because it created space for real friendships to form before classes and schedules took over.

Another major highlight was working as a research assistant under SEAS Assistant Professor Parth Vaishnav. I worked on an Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E)-sponsored project building a cost model for a new energy-efficient cooling solution for data centers. That experience pushed me technically and helped me develop much stronger techno-economic analysis and modeling skills. It also gave me the opportunity to present my work to ARPA-E leaders, which was both exciting and deeply rewarding.

Those experiences capture what I valued most at SEAS: meaningful relationships, intellectually challenging work and opportunities that made the classroom feel connected to the real world.

What has your experience at SEAS been like?

My experience at SEAS has been both expansive and surprising. I came in very focused on energy and climate solutions, and that part of my journey definitely deepened here. But one of the things that made SEAS special was how often it pushed me beyond the areas I already knew I cared about.

A great example was Conservation Biology with SEAS Lecturer Sheila Schueller. It was not the kind of class I would have imagined defining my graduate school experience, but it opened up a completely new world for me. I had always approached environmental challenges through the lens of energy systems, markets and technology. That class pulled me into questions of ecology and biodiversity in a way that felt humbling and energizing. It reminded me that sustainability is much broader than any one pathway, and that some of the most meaningful learning happens when you let yourself wander outside your comfort zone.

That is what SEAS has felt like to me overall. It is a place full of people who care deeply, think across disciplines, and are always inviting you to explore something new. I came here to sharpen a specific set of tools, but I left with a much wider sense of the environment and my place in it.

What advice do you have for incoming students?

One piece of advice I would give incoming students is to show up fully, not just for the coursework, but for the conversations, the community and the unexpected opportunities that come your way. When I first came to SEAS, I carried a mindset that I think many people from my background can relate to: keep your head down, do the work and let the results speak for themselves. I still believe in the value of that. But one of the most important things I learned at SEAS is that it is also important to speak up about the things you care about. Your work matters, but your ideas matter too. Sometimes asking a question in class, sharing a perspective or speaking up in a group setting can create a ripple effect far beyond what you expect.

I would also encourage incoming students to be open to opportunities that may not seem like a perfect fit at first. Of course, it helps to have some guardrails and a sense of what matters most to you, but I think there is real value in saying yes more often than no, especially early on. Not every class, project, internship or conversation will map neatly onto your long-term goals in the first pass, and that is okay. Some of the most valuable parts of my experience came from following curiosity rather than trying to optimize every choice. Perfect can easily become the enemy of progress. SEAS offers so much range that part of the experience is learning to explore before you narrow.

What are your plans after graduation?

I graduated in December 2025 and now work at Antora Energy as a senior power strategy associate. Antora is a climate tech startup developing long-duration thermal energy storage to help decarbonize industry and build a cleaner, more reliable electric grid. In my role, I work on power strategy at the intersection of energy markets, analytics and deployment. It brings together many of the things that drew me to this field in the first place: energy systems, data-driven decision making, and the challenge of scaling climate solutions in the real world.

What excites me most is how closely this work connects to the reason I came to SEAS. I wanted to move into a role where I could contribute in a tangible way to decarbonization, and long-duration energy storage feels like one of the most important unsolved pieces of the energy transition. If we want a grid powered by a high share of intermittent renewable energy, we need better ways to store clean electricity and use it when it is needed most. Being able to work on that challenge every day feels both meaningful and energizing.