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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Former farmland transitioning to grassland, highlighting how land-use decisions influence biodiversity and ecosystem recovery.

Protecting nature may depend on where — not just how — we farm


UCSB Bren professor Ashley Larsen reveals how strategic land-use decisions—where farms expand or retreat—can protect biodiversity, improve habitat connectivity, and safeguard carbon under future climate scenarios.

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.

Green lawns, trees and shrubs were still visible after the Eaton Fire burned homes in Altadena, Calif., in January 2025.

California plan to ban most plants within 5 feet of homes for wildfire safety overlooks some important truths about flammability

Bren wildfire expert Max Moritz challenges California’s proposed vegetation bans, highlighting research that shows how well-maintained plants can help protect homes from wildfire risk.

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

Cesar B. Martinez-Alvarez: Faculty in Political Science Department

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

Sage Davis:

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

Frederick Long: Sustainable Finance, Global Environmental Negotiation, Deep ESG Approaches in Asian Private Equity

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