2022 Master's Project Presentations

Master of Environmental Science and Management student projects are the culmination of a year working in collaboration with a client partner or on a business plan which addresses an environmental problem. The Class of 2022 will present 16 Master's Group Projects and Eco-Entrepreneurship Projects on Friday, April 22, 2022, from 1:00pm to 5:25pm Pacific Time. This event will be held in-person on the UC Santa Barbara campus and streamed live online. Presentations will be held in two simultaneous sessions:  Session A is in Bren Hall 1414, and Session B is in the Marine Science Institute (MSI) Auditorium. This event is open to the public, both in-person and online.

In-person attendees who are not affiliated with UCSB should fill out the On-Demand Daily COVID-19 Screening Survey the day of the event. Masks are recommended inside all campus buildings.

Registration is not required. 

Schedule

Session A: Bren Hall 1414 

+ Session A Livestream on YouTube 

• 1:05 - 1:15pm: Dean's Welcome
• 1:15 - 1:40pm: Equity & Wildfire Resilience: Recommendations for Inclusive Wildfire Management in Ventura County; Brianna Baker, Yvonne Dinh, Elena Ortiz, Alison Sells, Iris Foxfoot
• 1:45 - 2:10pm: Post-Fire Debris Flows: Leveraging Science for Environmental Management and Community Resiliency; Nicholas Bissonnette, Mikel Irigoyen, Aaron Kreisberg, Quin Smith
• 2:15 - 2:40pm: Modeling Land-Use Change for Solar and Conservation on Predicted Retired Farmland in the San Joaquin Valley; Travis Christy, Kaley Dodson, Roshni Katrak-Adefowora, Katelyn Toigo
• 2:45 - 3:10pm: Exploring the Feasibility of Floating Solar on Lauro Reservoir; Trent Buchanan, Andrea Gracia Duran, Colin Schimmelfing, Carlos Simms, Joe Walderman
• 3:30 - 3:55pm: Environmental and Financial Analysis: Single-Use Plastic versus Reusable Recycling Bags; Karla Bonilla Cordero, Kat Cotti, Larissa Neilson, Morganne Sigismonti
• 4:00 - 4:25pm: Identifying the Impact Potential of Early-Stage Circular Investment Opportunities; Alex Gaynor, Amber McEldowney, Joaquin Meckler-Pacheco, Aya Rosenfeld, Dani Sclafani
• 4:30 - 4:55pm: AgPlastic Solutions: Waste to Energy and Plastic Circularity in the Agricultural Industry (Eco-Entrepreneurship Project) Annie Lovell, Craig Kopulsky, Shelby Smith, Kerry Nixon
• 5:00 - 5:25pm: Play Sustainaball: An Environmental Footprint for an MLB Team Season; Gabrielle Barsotti, Hannah Brady, Jordan Davis, Carly Norris, Eric Shaphran

Session B: MSI Auditorium

+ Session B Livestream on YouTube 

• 1:05 - 1:15pm: Dean's Welcome
• 1:15 - 1:40pm: Optimal Green Infrastructure: Reducing Stormwater Pollution in Maunalua Bay, O'ahu, Hawai'i; Elmera Azadpour, Genevieve Chiong, Kristin Gill, Lauren Skube, Cat Takata
• 1:45 - 2:10pm: Identification and Communication of Climate Change Impacts on Rock Climbing and Trail Sports; Sam Fearer, Karla Garibay Garcia, Will Geiken, Sage Kime, Matt Koller
• 2:15 - 2:40pm: Funding Future Forests: Evaluating Ecosystem Services for Forest Restoration in the Tahoe-Central Sierra; Laurel Abowd, Kirsten Hodgson, Brendan McGovern, Teague Tran, Hanna Weyland
• 2:45 - 3:10pm: Exploring Mountain Lion Habitat Connectivity in Central and Southern California; Meghan Fletcher, Alyssa Broberg Kibbe, Grace Kumaishi, Anna Talken, Nikole Vannest
• 3:30 - 3:55pm: Identification and Conservation of Larval Pacific Lamprey Habitat in the Columbia River Estuary; Krista Finlay, Ethan Hoffman, Lory Salazar-Velasquez, Craig Stuart
• 4:00 - 4:25pm: Assessing the Value of Environmental Information for Shellfish Aquaculture Farmers in B.C.; Emiliano Espinoza, Halley McVeigh, Caitie Reza, Mariano Viz, Tom Wheeler
• 4:30 - 4:55pm: Perceptions of Seaweed Aquaculture in Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties; Janelle Gaun, Madeline McEwen, Sydney Rilum, Laurel Wee
• 5:00 - 5:25pm: Seal Bomb Impacts to Cetaceans in California National Marine Sanctuaries; Ian Brunjes, Anastasia Kunz, Taylor Lockmann, Caitlin Manley, Jenna Wisniewski

Master's Project Presentation Day: A Welcome by Dean Steve Gaines

I’m pleased to welcome you to the 25th annual Master’s Project Final Presentations, showcasing projects completed by the Bren School Master of Environmental Science and Management Class of 2022. Over the course of a year, students work in teams with one or more faculty advisors who monitor progress, provide technical assistance and expertise, and evaluate the project. This hands-on experience prepares Bren graduates to be leaders in solving the environmental problems of the 21st century. 

The Master of Environmental Science and Management, or MESM, program offers a problem-solving, solution-oriented, multidisciplinary curriculum that blends training in the natural sciences, social sciences, law, and business. The capstone of the MESM program is either a Group Project or Eco-Entrepreneurship (Eco-E) Project.

Group Projects train students to work as a team while they conduct comprehensive analyses of current environmental issues containing both scientific and management challenges. Students partner with outside stakeholders as they define the scope of a real-world environmental problem and develop interdisciplinary solutions.

Eco-E Projects prepare students as entrepreneurs who can identify opportunities where market demands overlap environmental solutions. Students who complete an Eco-E Project develop a business model, build a prototype concept, and create a go-to-market strategy for a new environmental venture.

The Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara continues to play a leading role in researching environmental issues, identifying and solving environmental problems, and training research scientists and environmental-management professionals. The Bren School continues to be impressed by the depth of knowledge displayed by our students. Thank you for joining us for this fascinating day of presentations.

Thank you to our 2022 MESM Master's Project Presentations Supporter:
 

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And thank you to the Bren School's Corporate and Institutional Partners:

AEP Channel Counties Chapter, Bank of America Charitable Foundation, Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck, California Homebuilding Foundation, Catena Foundation, Chubb, Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Eli Lilly, Grove Planting Company, Irvine Ranch Conservancy, Kingfisher Foundation, Latham & Watkins, Lean Green Way, March Limited of Bermuda, Moulton Nigel Water District, O’Melveny & Myers, Professional Environmental Managers Association (PEMA), Protect Our Winters, Rhodium Group, Rincon Consultants, Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians Foundation, Scoot Science, Tetiaroa Society, The Nature Conservancy, Toad & Co., Walton Family Foundation