The Sweaty Penguin team is a small group of college students and recent college graduates, many of whom met through working on publications such as The Bunion and The Emerald Review at Boston University. About 2/3 of the team has received or is pursuing a degree in an environmental field, but the group also includes students studying Film & Television, Journalism, Public Relations, and more. With this mix of experience, The Sweaty Penguin team is well-equipped to communicate climate change in a new, fun way!
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Ethan Brown
Founder & Host -
Olivia Amitay
Producer -
Megan Crimmins
Producer -
Shannon Damiano
Producer -
Frank Hernandez
Producer -
Dain Kim
Producer -
Caroline Koehl
Producer -
Hallie Cordingley
Associate Producer -
Isabel Plower
Associate Producer -
Maddy Schmidt
Comedy Writer -
Naomi Rubin
Comedy Writer
Ethan Brown
Founder & Host
Ethan Brown is a recent graduate of Boston University, where he studied Environmental Analysis & Policy and Film & Television. Ethan was never outdoorsy growing up, but after studying climate change, he felt compelled to use his years of comedy writing experience as Editor-in-Chief of his high school and college satire publications—The Gorilla and The Bunion—to communicate environmental issues in an entertaining way. With some free time during early quarantine, Ethan launched The Sweaty Penguin Podcast. Since then, the podcast has released over 100 episodes, amassed over 19,000 downloads, showcased the work of professors from eleven countries, won six grants, became a PBS partner, and was honored at the 2022 Webby Awards. Through The Sweaty Penguin, Ethan aims to make climate change less overwhelming, less politicized, and more fun. Ethan has also served as Managing Editor of BU’s student-run earth & environment magazine The Emerald Review and currently serves as a Production Assistant for PBS/WNET’s climate initiative Peril and Promise. His favorite TV show is “The Good Place,” and he is passionately opposed to pineapple on Pizza.
Olivia Amitay
Producer
Olivia is a senior at Boston University from Silver Spring, Maryland studying Public Relations.
Megan Crimmins
Producer
Megan is a senior at Boston University from Prescott, Arizona studying Environmental Analysis & Policy and International Relations.
Shannon Damiano
Producer
Shannon is a senior at Boston University from Spring Lake Heights, New Jersey studying Journalism.
Frank Hernandez
Producer
Frank is a recent graduate of Boston University from Caguas, Puerto Rico with a major in Journalism.
Dain Kim
Producer
Dain is a senior at Boston University from Pasedena, California studying Earth & Environmental Sciences.
Caroline Koehl
Producer
Caroline is a senior at Boston University from Orono, Minnesota studying Environmental Analysis & Policy and International Relations.
Hallie Cordingley
Associate Producer
Hallie Cordingley is a junior at Boston University from Littleton, Massachusetts studying Environmental Analysis and Policy and Economics. She is an Associate Producer for The Sweaty Penguin, researching/writing/fact checking episodes, managing the website, and working on audience engagement and educational outreach, among other tasks. Hallie also works on the executive team as a secretary for Boston University’s Sustainable Ocean Alliance chapter. She has worked on science communication at the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation, learning how to effectively communicate climate change to different audiences. She has interned with iUNU agtech, helping to launch a campaign for congressional funding to put greenhouse technologies in urban communities. She has also worked on CropTalk, a podcast discussing integrative pest management. Hallie has a passion for applying her environmental skills in the agricultural sector, and the intersection between economies and our planet.
Isabel Plower
Associate Producer
Isabel is a sophomore at Columbia University from Woodstock, GA with a major in Earth Science.
Maddy Schmidt
Comedy Writer
Maddy is a recent graduate of Boston University from South Brunswick, New Jersey with a major in Film & Television.
Naomi Rubin
Comedy Writer
Naomi Rubin is a senior at Barnard College from Los Angeles, CA studying film and political science. She is a comedy writer for The Sweaty Penguin and works on podcast episode scripts, website content, and more! She also works at Stand Up NY as a marketing and booking assistant, and has previously interned for Jetpack Comedy. She is based in New York City where she performs musical stand-up and improv. When she’s not thinking about the environment or comedy, she’s thinking about how much she likes various desserts, such as tiramisu and ice cream. Or maybe a fine little cookie. Or chocolate babka. Or two fine little cookies.