MESM 2021
Bio
Alex Ehrens graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2016 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hydrological Sciences. Moving from Chicago, he witnessed the effects of extreme drought in California and was motivated to pursue an education in water resources. During his undergraduate career, he performed riparian habitat restoration for a non-profit and interned in the operations department of the Goleta Water District. He gained insight into the unique challenges of water resources management from the perspective of a non-profit organization and public utility. Upon graduation, Alex worked for an environmental consulting company, as a field crew leader and data analyst on projects related to stream condition, road erosion, stormwater sampling, and air quality monitoring. His findings from these projects demonstrated a need for improved watershed management practices to adapt to worsening conditions caused by climate change. As a result, he was inspired to pursue a MESM degree from the Bren School with a specialization in Water Resources Management. As a Sustainable Water Markets Fellow, he will continue to study water resources at the watershed level, applying market-based concepts from SWM to find management solutions that benefit humans and natural ecosystems.