Bren School faculty lead interdisciplinary research on pressing environmental challenges, including climate change, water resources, conservation, and ocean health. Their work spans science, policy, and data-driven solutions, collaborating with global institutions and advising governments, businesses, and nonprofits. As experts in fields such as environmental law, economics, sustainability, and justice, they integrate cutting-edge research into their teaching, shaping the future of environmental leadership.

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Meltwater runs across the Greenland ice sheet in rivers.

What are climate tipping points? Is there room for optimism?

Scientists explain how climate tipping points such as ice loss, coral decline, and rainforest stress interact within Earth’s systems, highlighting both the scientific uncertainty and opportunities to prevent irreversible change.

Schooling Bigeye jacks around reef structure, Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico

How Much Industrial Fishing Occurs in Marine Protected Areas?

Christopher Costello's groundbreaking Science study using satellite technology and AI proves marine protected areas effectively reduce illegal fishing by 90%, challenging "paper park" criticisms and demonstrating MPAs' crucial role in achieving global 30x30 ocean conservation targets.

Shanghai City Air Pollution

Can Government Transparency Policies Help Reduce Pollution and Improve Public Health?

A landmark study by UCSB Bren School faculty Sarah Anderson and Mark Buntaine finds that publicly rating local governments on pollution transparency led to long-term improvements in air quality and regulatory enforcement in China.

Joan Dudney studies the impacts of global change on forests to develop science-based management strategies.

Ecologist Joan Dudney awarded for her study of how forests change in a warming world

Bren School's Joan Dudney named 2025 ESA Early Career Fellow for innovative research on climate change, forest ecosystems, and multiple environmental stressors reshaping Western landscapes.

The Faculty Experience: How Bren Professors Work

Get to know Bren faculty and their interdisciplinary research projects, from coral reefs in Mo'orea to climate change and loss of biodiversity.

Subject Matter Expertise Directory:


Bren Faculty

People

Mark Buntaine: Environmental Institutions and Governance

Kelly Caylor: Hydrology, Terrestrial Ecology, Coupled Natural-Human Systems

Jayajit Chakraborty: Environmental Justice, Climate Justice, Disability Justice, Disaster Vulnerability

Christopher Costello: Resource Economics

Max Czapanskiy: Marine Data Science

Ranjit Deshmukh: Energy Systems, Economics, and Policies

Joan Dudney: Forest disturbance ecology, climate change effects, global change ecology

Carmen Galaz García: Environmental Data Science

Roland Geyer: Industrial Ecology

Ben Halpern: Marine Ecology, Conservation Planning

Robert Heilmayr: Environmental Economics, Land System Science

Patricia Holden: Environmental Microbiology

Scott Jasechko: Hydrology, Water Resources, Groundwater

Arturo Keller: Fate and Transport, Watershed Management, Remediation, Pollution Prevention

Ashley Larsen: Agricultural Ecology, Land Use, Landscape Ecology

Hunter Lenihan: Applied Marine and Fisheries Ecology

Andrew MacDonald: Global Change Ecology, Disease Ecology, Environmental and Human Health

Eric Masanet: Energy System Analysis, Climate Change Mitigation, Sustainable Manufacturing, Data Centers & ICT

Kyle Meng: Environmental Economics

Ruth Oliver: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Ecology

Alexandra Phillips: Environmental Communication, Oceanography, Geochemistry, Science Policy

Andrew Plantinga: Resource Economics, Land Use Economics

Matt Potoski: Corporate Environmental Management

James Salzman: Environmental Law

Samantha Stevenson-Karl: Climate Modeling, Drought, Oceanography, Climate Dynamics

Christina Tague: Ecohydrology and Ecoinformatics

David Tilman: Ecology, Biodiversity, Ecosystem Functioning

Affiliated Faculty & Researchers

People

Peter Alagona: Faculty in Environmental Studies and History Departments

Olivier Deschenes: Professor, Department of Economics

Sally MacIntyre: Professor, Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Marine Biology

Paasha Mahdavi: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science

Wendy Meiring: Professor, Department of Statistics and Applied Probability

Matto Mildenberger: Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science

Antony Millner: Associate Professor, Department of Economics

David Pellow: Dehlsen Chair, Department of Environmental Studies

Debra Perrone: Water Resources Engineering, Groundwater Science and Policy

Ronald Rice: Rupe Chair, Department of Communication

Dar Roberts: Professor, Department of Geography

Rafael J.P. Schmitt: River and catchment processes, hydropower, water resources management

Leah Stokes: Anton Vonk Associate Professor of Environmental Politics

Grace Wu: Sustainable Land Use, Climate Change Mitigation, Renewable Energy Planning, Land Systems Science

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Aquaculture nets on a blue ocean

Adjunct Faculty

People

Darcy Bradley: Marine Conservation

Lee Hannah: Climate Change, Conservation Planning

Max Moritz: Wildfire Dynamics

Robert Wilkinson: Water Policy

Jono Wilson: Fisheries Science and Management

Durwood Zaelke: International Environmental Law and Policy

 

Teaching Faculty & Lecturers

People

Annie Adams:

Julien Brun: Ecohydrology, Earth observation techniques (remote sensing and GIS), and process-based modeling

Emily Cotter: Environmental Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Christopher Free: Fisheries, marine conservation, climate change

Adam Garber: Applied statistics, data science, causal inference, measurement

Maggie Hall: Environmental and Administrative Law

Heather Hodges: Leombruni Lab

Greg Janée: Research data management, scientific reproducibility, digital preservation, digital libraries, and data science and literacy

Christopher Jerde: Applied statistics, data science, biodiversity, environmental DNA, invasive species

Lisa Leombruni: Strategic Environmental Communication & Media

Mateo Robbins: Network models of natural resource governance, sustainable fisheries, sea level rise adaptation, and the science of science communication.

Will Shafroth: President and CEO of the National Park Foundation

Cora Snyder: Corporate water stewardship, integrated water management, California water policy, and global water governance

Caitlin Swalec: Energy and climate, engineering, and industrial decarbonization

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Professor instructs two researchers in lab coats in a laboratory