MESM 2023
Bio
Julia Bickford spent her early life exploring tidepools in Santa Barbara, California, cultivating a lifelong fascination with the natural world which led her to volunteer at the Ty Warner Sea Center and undertake a mentorship program at UCSB’s REEF (Research Experience and Education Facility). In 2018 she graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a Bachelor of Science in marine biology and a Bachelor of Arts in environmental studies. As an undergraduate, she volunteered as a docent at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center, tutored courses in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, assisted in data collection and analysis on several research projects, and became a Scientific Diver. During a field quarter in Corsica, Julia researched the impact of ocean acidification on the feeding behavior of the striped red mullet (Mullus surmuletus). After graduation, she worked as a marine science instructor at CIMI (Catalina Island Marine Institute), where she taught ocean stewardship through hands on experience. Julia also served as assistant director of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center summer camp in Washington. At Bren, Julia is specializing in Coastal and Marine Resource Management and Pollution Prevention and Remediation, with a focus on Strategic Environmental Communication. She aims to combat water pollution and environmental racism through science-driven innovation and education.