Bethany M. Gordon wants to build a more equitable world for the most disadvantaged populations — and a world that is sustainable for all. She is also drawn to studying people, in particular the language we use to communicate with one another, and how that understanding can promote justice. In the UVA Engineering Systems and Environment Department's civil engineering Ph.D. program, she has found a way to do both. As a fourth-year undergraduate, Gordon was investigating master's programs to pursue a career in structural engineering. She planned to use her education to build better, more sustainable infrastructure for communities with the fewest resources. Then she metLeidy Klotz, the then-new Copenhaver Associate Professor who is jointly appointed to the Department of Engineering Systems and Environment and the School of Architecture. He was looking for stellar graduate students to join theConvergent Behavioral Science Initiative, which he co-founded with Associate Professor Morela Hernandez at UVA's Darden School of Business, where he also holds a courtesy appointment.