Cindy Yañez is a PhD candidate in Earth System Science at the University of California, Irvine. She completed a BS degree in Physics from the University of California, Riverside in 2019. Her research focuses on improving our understanding of fossil fuel carbon dioxide emissions from cities using atmospheric CO2 measurements and isotopic analysis of urban plants. She is interested in using this research to track the progress of urban decarbonization and to support local policy efforts to mitigate climate change.