MEDS 2022
Bio
Jake is an experienced kelp forest field technician who is a Data Science Masters student at The Bren School of Environmental Science and Management graduate school. Jake graduated in 2019 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a B.S. in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology. Since 2017, Jake has been conducting kelp forest surveys at the Northern Channel Islands for the Partnership of Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO). He has also worked for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) under the Pelagic Fisheries and Ecosystem Project as a squid fishery dock sampler. During his time with PISCO and CDFW, he began learning the proper tools needed to analyze large ecological data sets. He quickly understood the power and importance of using advanced statistical analysis and computer software to answer ecological questions. Jake’s field seasons with PISCO have reinforced his connection with the natural world that drives him to answer the unknowns within our ecosystems. Jake has life goals to apply his Data Science skills to the ecological world to uncover meaningful tools that will be used to conserve and restore our natural resources.