MESM 2027
Pronouns: she/her
Bio
Hannah Waldorf is pursuing a Master of Environmental Science and Management at UC Santa Barbara’s Bren School. She earned a B.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Environmental Science and Policy from Chapman University (2022), graduating cum laude. Her collaborative academic and research experiences include conducting and presenting a university-wide sustainability assessment, developing an award-winning wave energy generator, and creating a communications toolkit for communities impacted by the 2021 Orange County Oil Spill. She also interned with former CA-48 Congressman Harley Rouda, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Environment, supporting constituent engagement, and with Heal the Bay, where she developed a proposal to integrate community science data into a federal fishery management act.
Following graduation, Hannah served as a Litigation and Controversy Project Assistant at WilmerHale LLP in New York City, working on high-stakes intellectual property litigation and government investigations. She also filled the role of Editing Team Coordinator at the nonprofit Climate Words, helping develop a database of climate words and stories to promote action through literacy.
Motivated to integrate her background in law and communication with her commitment to environmental problem solving, Hannah came to the Bren School to specialize in Environmental Policy with a Communication Focus. She aims to bridge policy development and public communication to ensure environmental solutions are both effective and inclusive.