Alumni Stories
Alumni Spotlight: Colleen McCamy (MEDS 2023), Associate Data Scientist – Silicon Valley Clean Energy

Colleen McCamy, MEDS 2023

Colleen McCamy (MEDS 2023) worked at Silicon Valley Clean Energy before (and during!) her time at Bren but transitioned to her Associate Data Scientist role after graduating and having a conversation about how she could contribute her new MEDS skills.
woman and dog sitting by a sparkling lake

Allison Horst, PhD 2012

From engineer to environmental scientist, Allison Horst's creative approach to teaching data science to Bren students makes it fun and engaging.
Woman standing among flower branches

A Career Transforming Sustainability: Q&A with Fahmida Bangert, MESM 2006

Fahmida Bangert, MESM '06, took a leap of faith to change careers in the early days of corporate sustainability, and now her thriving career has come full circle
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Jamie Montgomery, MESM 2013

Jamie Montgomery forged new paths in data science, helping to build an open science community. She brought this experience when she returned to Bren as the MEDS program coordinator.
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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.
Sonny Sohrabian

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.
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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.
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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.
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Heather Hochrein, MESM 2016

Heather Hochrein shares her experience launching a successful electric vehicle charge-share business from her Eco-E Project at Bren.
Man standing on rocks looking at clear ocean water

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.
Four people standing together

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 in backpack 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.