MESM 2026
Bio
Wesley Noble, a first-generation college student, graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara, in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in both Environmental Studies and Ocean Science. As an undergraduate, he worked with Santa Barbara Channel Keeper, monitoring and educating the community on local Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). Simultaneously, he collaborated with a PhD student to research the Height Above Nearest Drainage (HAND) raster model, a terrain-based flood inundation mapping technique, using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and spatial data science. After graduating, Wesley completed a Graduate Certificate in GIS and Geomatics from the University of Colorado Denver while working as an Ocean Operations Specialist for Sofar Ocean Technology in San Francisco, California. At Sofar, he led a technical support team and engaged with stakeholders in the maritime industry to develop and expand Sofar's weather and vessel optimization platform. Wesley now aims to enhance his cross-sector communication skills and explore management practices that balance profitable marine economics with sustainable conservation.