Master's Project Directory

Overview of MEDS Capstone projects Overview of MESM Group projects

Finding Balance in Our Urbanized Watersheds - Policy Recommendations for Alternative Emergency Debris Management Actions in Santa Barbara County

MESM 2025 Group Project: Finding Balance in Our Urbanized Watersheds - Policy Recommendations for Alternative Emergency Debris Management Actions in Santa Barbara County

Group Members: Letty Aguilar, John (Tali) Cook, Roxana Lagunas, Sophia Lecuona, Janiece Luu

Faculty Advisors: Patricia Holden

Clients: Santa Barbara Channelkeeper

Redwood forest with tall trees and lower shrubs

Evaluating the biodiversity implications of nature-based carbon credits

This project evaluates nature-based carbon credits for their biodiversity impact. In collaboration with Carbon Direct, the team aims to guide buyers on selecting credits that benefit ecosystems, using data analysis and case studies of Indigenous and conservation efforts.

Group Members: Sophie Bartley, Dana Cohen-Kaplan, Jackson Hayes, Anissa Stull, Kelsey Warren

Faculty Advisors: Andrew MacDonald

Clients: Carbon Direct

Mountain with blue sky and yellowing trees and grass in front of it in Colorado.

Integrating Climate Adaptation Strategies into Local Collaborative Forest Management in Northern Colorado

MESM 2025 Group Project: Integrating Climate Adaptation Strategies into Local Collaborative Forest Management in Northern Colorado

Group Members: Olivia (Liv) Hemond, Steven Mitchell, Maxwell Pepperdine, Nicole Rosen, Izzy Sofio

Faculty Advisors: Joan Dudney

Clients: The Nature Conservancy

Fishing boat on the water with a sunset behind it and birds flying around the boat.

Fishing for change: a bioeconomic analysis comparing policy scenarios to manage distant water fishing in Liberia

Liberia's waters face overfishing from foreign fleets, harming local ecosystems and fishers despite government profits. This project explores how limiting trawling could impact fish stocks and income, helping policymakers balance ecological and economic needs.

Group Members: Mara Booth, Taylor Cook, Dustin Duncan, Abigail Kirk, Maddie Whitman

Faculty Advisors: Anastasia Quintana

Clients: Conservation International, Center for Oceans (Liberia)

Mountains in the distance with a field of beautiful flowers and shrubs.

Rancho Encinalito: Land & Biodiversity Conservation Through Sustainable Enterprise Advancement in Baja California Sur, Mexico

2025 MESM Group Project: Rancho Encinalito: Land & Biodiversity Conservation Through Sustainable Enterprise Advancement in Baja California Sur, Mexico

Group Members: Sadie Armstrong, Julia Field, Samson Grunwald, Shivank Jhanji, Tatianna Suriel

Faculty Advisors: Christina Tague

Clients: Unión de Conservación Agua de la Sierra (UCAS)

Conservation Gap Analysis and the Business Case for Protecting Surf Ecosystems

2025 MESM Group Project: Conservation Gap Analysis and the Business Case for Protecting Surf Ecosystems

Group Members: Ryan Anderson, Manuela Díaz, Sofia Gutierrez, Miranda Scalzo, Emma Tao

Faculty Advisors: Hunter Lenihan

Clients: Conservation International Indonesia

Safety and Sustainability Assessment of Biochar Produced From Biosolids for Agricultural Applications

MESM 2025 Group Project: Safety and sustainability assessment of pyrolyzed biochar produced from wastewater treatment plant biosolids for agricultural applications

Group Members: Riley Black, Sam Lance, Lauren Londoño, Jessica Rodriguez

Faculty Advisors: Arturo Keller

Clients: The Santa Ynez Chumash Environmental Office

Understanding and Mitigating Seaweed Forest Losses Caused by Environmental Change in New Zealand/Aotearoa

MESM 2025 Group Project: Understanding and Mitigating Seaweed Forest Losses Caused by Environmental Change in New Zealand/Aotearoa

Group Members: Kyle Burt, Jessica Copeland, Caroline Edmonds, Natalie Mayer, Shane O'Brian

Clients: Cawthron Institute

vegetables for sale in a supermarket - 7N3YFR5GPL

Roadmap and Recommendations for Sustainability Reporting in Food Manufacturing

MESM 2025 Group Project: Food Manufacturing Impact Measurement and Reporting

Group Members: Akshaya Jagannathan, Madison Kilkenny, Wesley Martinez, Daphne Prodis, Brenda Vuong

Faculty Advisors: Matt Potoski

Clients: Albertsons Companies

Health center with solar panels on the roofs

Cost-Benefit Analysis Tools for Federally Qualified Health Centers Considering On-Site Solar Installation: A Healthcare Equity Project

MESM 2025 Group Project: Cost-Benefit Analysis Tools for Federally Qualified Health Centers Considering On-Site Solar Installation: A Healthcare Equity Project

Group Members: Ivette Castaneda, Kyle (Reeves) Erickson, Temesgen Gebreyesus, Sabrina Molina Ramos, Henry Strecker

Faculty Advisors: Christopher Costello

Clients: Collective Energy Company, LLC

Coral reef with different colored corals.

Develop a product/service that accelerates coral bleaching prevention through the diving community, raising awareness and adding value to the diving experience (Eco-E)

MESM 2025 Eco-Entrepreneurship Project: Develop a product/service that accelerates coral bleaching prevention through the diving community, raising awareness and adding value to the diving experience

Group Members: Camille Kaczmar, Samantha Mislinski, Zoe Zhou

Faculty Advisors: Steve Gaines, Emily Cotter

Woman holding a tablet with statistics data on the screen

A standardized data collection tool for sustainability reporting of Scope 3 emissions (Eco-E)

MESM 2025 Eco-Entrepreneurship Project: A standardized data collection tool for sustainability reporting of Scope 3 emissions

Group Members: Lawrence Angelo (Rence) Balitaan, Jacob (Jake) Cosmo, Jacques Rebibo, Chelsea Sanford

Faculty Advisors: Charles Kolstad, Kyle Meng, Emily Cotter

A palm frond biochar for farmers and gardeners who want to improve soil health by repurposing landfill waste (Eco-E)

Palm fronds, common in Southern California, don’t decompose easily and overcrowd landfills. This project aims to convert palm waste into biochar to reduce landfill use, improve soil health, and sequester carbon, supporting regional waste management efforts.

Group Members: Lilli Bennett, Isabelle (Izzy) Coiro, Anna Perko, Michael Roysner

Faculty Advisors: Emily Cotter

Evaluating Ecological Conservation Gaps Across a Proposed Sentinel Landscape

MESM 2025 Group Project: Exploring High-Impact Regional Habitat Connectivity Projects in Support of a Sentinel Landscape Partnership Designation at Vandenberg Space Force Base

Group Members: Thuy-Tien Bui, Madison Calbert, Andrew Palacios, Natalie Smith, Priscilla Ta

Faculty Advisors: Ruth Oliver

Clients: LegacyWorks Group

Evaluating the protection of diverse and representative coastal and marine habitats within California’s Marine Protected Area (MPA) network

This project enhances marine conservation by standardizing habitat analysis within California’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) using spatial data and remote sensing. By creating detailed habitat maps and statistical comparisons, it provides crucial insights for researchers and policymakers evaluating the effectiveness of the MPA network.

Group Members: Madison Enda, Bailey Jorgensen, Michelle Yiv

Faculty Advisors: Samantha Stevenson

Clients: Cori Lopazanski, UCSB Bren School

Wildfire in Valencia, Newhall, Santa Clarita area

Remote Sensing of Brush Clearance to Enhance Wildfire Preparedness

To enhance wildfire preparedness, this project develops a machine learning tool that predicts defensible space compliance using remote sensing imagery. By streamlining inspections for the Santa Barbara County Fire Department, it enables more efficient resource allocation and real-time monitoring of wildfire risk.

Group Members: Joshua Paul Cohen, Ryan Green, Rachel Swick, Leilanie Rubinstein

Faculty Advisors: Mark Buntaine

Clients: Mark Buntaine, UCSB Bren School, Sarah Anderson, UCSB Bren School, Cesar Martinez-Alvarez, UCSB Political Science

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