MESM 2027
Bio
Kobe Mayeda, a Southern California native, developed an early curiosity about environmental science through fishing and camping. He attended Washington State University wehre he developed a strong interest in conservation, earning a B.S. in Environmental and Ecosystems Science with a minor in Wildlife Ecology.
After graduating in 2023, he took a position as a scientific aid with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), where he worked on their Steelhead Recovery Project based out of Santa Barbara. At CDFW, he conducted fieldwork ranging from redd surveys to electrofishing, contributed to a new monitoring data system, and led trout rescue efforts during drought and wildfires. After leaving the Steelhead Recovery Project, Kobe went on to work as a survey technician with the Great Basin Institute, (GBI) conducting desert tortoise monitoring for a large-scale population estimate.
While these roles highlighted the progress made in conservation, they also revealed the pressing challenges that remain. At Bren, Kobe hopes to pursue a double specialization in Conservation Planning and Coastal Resources Management to advance management practices and policies to help face our pressing conservation challenges.