Master's Project Directory | UC Santa Barbara Bren

This project conducted a vulnerability assessment to determine the impacts of sea level rise on: human impacts, critical infrastructure, recreation and public access, and ecological resources. It also identified preliminary adaptation policies that address the impacts of sea level rise hazards.

Faculty Advisors: James Frew

Clients: City of Santa Barbara

San Joaquin Valley Landscape-Scale Planning for Solar Energy and Conservation

Working with the Defenders of Wildlife, this project aims to ensure that the proper balance is achieved, with smart planning for renewable power that avoids and minimizes adverse impacts to wildlife and lands with known high-resource values (agriculture).

Faculty Advisors: Mark Buntaine

Clients: Defenders of Wildlife

Eco-Entrepreneurship: Slightly Nutty

Slightly Nutty developed insects as an alternative protein ingredient to significantly reduce price-volatility and environmental impact of meat industries.

Faculty Advisors: Emily Cotter, Matt Potoski

The Bathtub Ring: Implications of Low Water Levels in Lake Mead on Water Supply, Hydropower, Recreation, and the Environment

This project explores the impacts to each stakeholder group if Lake Mead reaches each key elevation outlined in the Interim Guidelines, as well as 1,000’.

Faculty Advisors: Christina Tague

Clients: Western Water Policy Program - University of Colorado

Evaluating Management Scenarios to Revitalize the California Commercial Swordfish Fishery

The goal of our project was to evaluate different management scenarios composed of the main gear types used to catch swordfish to simulate an increase in domestic swordfish catch while incorporating current and proposed conservation regulations in the California swordfish fishery.

Faculty Advisors: Hunter Lenihan

Clients: NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, The Nature Conservancy

Eco-Entrepreneurship: Solo Energy: A Social Impact Venture Providing Affordable Electricity to Energy-Impoverished Individuals in Less-Developed Nations Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean

Solo Energy builds standalone renewable energy kits for individuals with energy needs that cannot be satisfied through traditional fuels. The kits are complete and contain a solar panel, battery, and everything else needed to ensure the electricity produced is reliable and available.

Faculty Advisors: Emily Cotter, Jeff Dozier

Incorporating Life Cycle Screening into Alternatives Analysis

A case study exploring the Life Cycle impacts of methylene chloride in paint strippers and alternative paint stripping methods.

Faculty Advisors: Arturo Keller

Clients: California Department of Toxic Substances Control, California Environmental Protection Agency