Mantell Symposium in Environmental Justice and Conservation Innovation 2024

Please join us for a special event that will catalyze the Bren School’s efforts to advance environmental justice and conservation innovation. The symposium will include panel discussions featuring leaders in the environmental justice and conservation innovation space as well as Bren School faculty and the third cohort of Mantell and Bren Environmental Leadership Fellows. Following the event, a reception for donors, partners, all Bren students, staff, faculty, and others attending the Symposium will be held in the Michael J. Connell Memorial Courtyard.

The symposium will also be live streamed for remote viewing; see below.

RSVP required for in person attendance only; kindly email Renee Dubie at reneedubie@ucsb.edu to reserve your place.

1:00 – 5:00pm | Symposium, Bren Hall 1414

1:00 – 1:05pm: Introductory Remarks Sarah Anderson, Acting Dean and Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

1:05 – 1:30pm: Opening Keynote Laura Arndt, Founder and Executive Director at Global GreenSTEM

1:30 – 2:05pm: Panel 1
Strategic Approaches to Wildfire Resilience: Policy, Communication, and Community Engagement with Scientific Models
Partners: Moore Foundation, Edison International
Invited Panelists: Anne-Marie Parkinson, Santa Barbara Fire Safe Council; Primitiva Hernandez, Undocufund805
Bren Faculty Moderator: Dr. Sarah Anderson
Student Fellows: Grace (Sloane) Stephenson, Bren PhD; Izzy Sofio, Bren MESM; Joey Henschel, Environmental Studies and Political Science undergraduate; Katherine (Katie) McElroy, Environmental Studies undergraduate

2:05 – 2:40pm: Panel 2
Integrating Conservation Policies and Environmental Justice: Perspectives from Latin America and the Bahamas
Partners: Community and College Partners Program (C2P2), Environmental Defense Fund
Invited Panelists: Sarah Poon, Environmental Defense Fund; Michael Burns, C2P2
Political Science Faculty Moderator: Dr. Cesar Martinez-Alvarez
Student Fellows: Sabrina Molina-Ramos, Bren MESM; Miranda Scalzo, Bren MESM; Ariana Gomez, Earth Science undergraduate

2:40 – 2:50pm: 10 minute intermission

2:50 – 3:00pm: Environmental Justice Club Presentation

3:00 – 3:35pm: Panel 3
Whale Conservation and Fishery Management: Bridging Data Access, Citizen Science, and Environmental Justice
Partners: The Nature Conservancy, National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Invited Panelist: Anastasia Kunz, NOAA
Bren Faculty Moderator: Dr. Ruth Oliver
Student Fellows: Dustin Duncan, Bren MESM; Jai Woods, Economics and Accounting undergraduate

3:35 – 4:10pm: Panel 4
Plastic Litter and Associated Toxins in Hydrologic Systems: Bridging Environmental Justice and Pollution Mitigation
Partners: Sierra Club, Mammoth Lakes Tourism
Invited Panelists: Adelita Serena, Sierra Club; Betsy Truax, Mammoth Lakes Tourism
Bren Faculty Moderator: Dr. Jayajit Chakraborty
Student Fellows: Rebecca Reynolds, Bren PhD; Phoenix Cook, Hydrologic Science and Policy and Earth Science undergraduate

4:10 – 4:45pm: Panel 5
Data-Driven Innovation: Advancing Environmental Equity through Data Science Approaches
Partners: Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, OEHHA
Invited Panelist: Walker Wieland, OEHHA
Bren Faculty Moderator: Dr. Carmen Galaz Garcia
Student Fellows: Anna Boser, Bren PhD; Emily Miller, Mathematics undergraduate

4:45 – 5:00pm: Closing Remarks  Michael Mantell, Resources Legacy Fund

5:00 – 7:00pm | Reception, Michael J. Connell Memorial Courtyard

We could not do this without our partners at UC Santa Barbara. Thank you to FUERTE, the Promise Scholars program, the 2035 Initiative, the Center for Equitable Environmental Sciences, Dr. Arturo Keller, and the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships. A special thank you to the generous supporters of the Bren School and student fellows: Resources Legacy Fund Board and Friends of Michael Mantell, Edison International, The Nature Conservancy, Moore Foundation, and Rincon Consultants.