Yoni Kurtz is a student in Columbia College majoring in History. Born and raised in Hollywood, Florida, Yoni has been surrounded by issues of environmentalism, climate change, and the ethics and politics of invasive species management his whole life. On campus, Yoni is a Laidlaw Research Scholar, has served as the Communications Chair and President of Columbia/Barnard Hillel’s Student Executive Board, is the 2024-5 Editor-in-Chief of Iggrot Ha’ari, Columbia’s only undergraduate journal of Jewish Studies, and acts in and writes for Latenite, Columbia's premier experimental theatre group. In his free time, Yoni enjoys playing intramural basketball, performing stand-up comedy, and competing in trivia competitions around campus with his friends.