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Woman standing on rocky shore

Jamie Montgomery, MESM 2013

Alumni Stories

  • Woman and man stand on a suspended footbridge crossing a wooded area.

    Taylor Heisley-Cook and David Mun, MESM 2019

    For their Eco-E Project, three MESM students co-founded The Hurd Co., a company aimed at eliminating hemp waste in the creation of fabrics. UCSB Alumni interviews MESM 2019 grads Taylor Heisley-Cook and David Mun.

  • Matt Riley

    Matt Riley, MESM 2003

    As Head of Grid-Scale Renewables at ENGIE North America, Matt reviews potential projects with a team that has learned to look at complex problems from many perspectives.

  • Woman standing on bridge overlooking urban river

    Sunny Sohrabian, MESM 2013

    Sunny Sohrabian found her interest in corporate sustainability when she came to Bren. Now she leads efforts to reduce the operational footprint for a multinational corporation.

  • Mengya Tao

    Mengya Tao, MESM 2014, PhD 2019

    As a sustainability researcher at Amazon, Mengya Tao focuses on life cycle assessment and quantifying the environmental impact of products, from raw materials to disposal.

  • Garrett Goto

    Garrett Goto, MESM 2019

    Hired even before he graduated, Garrett Goto is developing global aquaculture strategy at the Center for Oceans at Conservation International.

  • Woman and two men canoeing in ocean

    Karen Askeland-Elliff, MESM 2016

    The attraction to protect pristine waterways drives Karen Askeland-Elliff's career as a water resources planner and environmental scientist.

  • Man places head next to model of "neanderthal man" at museum

    Adam Jorge, MESM 2015

    From studying agricultural pollution to working as a coordinator for the Clean Water Act, Adam Jorge talks about the journey to an EPA career.

  • Woman standing in shallow river

    Natalie Shahbol, MESM 2018

    Her group project studying the impact of pesticides on water quality and endangered fish led to a research fellowship with the EPA, and later to a job with the World Wildlife Fund.

  • Woman stands in front of landscape with windmills and water

    Roxanne Diaz, MESM 2018

    Roxanne Diaz used the power of networking to land a dream job in the Netherlands working on global freshwater issues with the World Fish Migration Foundation.

  • Smiling woman passenger on plane

    Lindsey Peavey Reeves, PhD 2016

    With the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, Lindsey conducts research and translates this important information for public education.

  • Kate Burchenal

    Kate Burchenal, MESM 2018

    Kate Burchenal turned her passion for the West's unique water management issues into a career in grantmaking for watershed health programs.

  • Hiking man with baby in backpack, city in distance

    Joel Cesare, MESM 2012

    An advocate for bold thinking, Joel Cesare makes sustainable building decisions for Google locations around the world.

  • Smiling man in front of a beer tap

    Jaime Dietenhofer, MESM 2002

    Using the management and problem solving skills learned at Bren, Jaime Dietenhofer has co-founded a successful -and sustainable- Central Coast brewery.

  • Smiling woman stands on a brick path

    Jennifer DuBuisson, MESM 2008

    The true breadth of skills Jennifer DuBuisson learned in the MESM program help her be an effective leader and collaborator at LEGO.

  • Woman riding bicycle on dirt trail

    Elissa Foster, MESM 2005

    At Patagonia, Elissa Foster helps the company make responsible decisions to meet their high standards for sustainable apparel.

  • Woman charging an electric vehicle

    Heather Hochrein, MESM 2016

    Heather Hochrein shares her experience launching a successful electric vehicle charge-share business from her Eco-E Project at Bren.

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