The Bren Environmental Leadership (BEL) Program is a graduate-led fellowship designed to provide student support, networking, and training opportunities through connection with learning communities, career skills workshops, and paired internships. By offering paid summer internships, BEL removes financial barriers while advancing hands-on, applied environmental problem-solving. In this model, Bren graduate students are paired with undergraduate fellows to collaborate with external partners on real-world sustainability challenges. Through structured one-on-one mentorship, weekly career skills workshops, and inclusive community-building events, BEL bridges academic training and professional practice. The program equips students with leadership skills and professional networks while delivering meaningful value to mission-driven organizations.
The BEL program connects students directly to the frontlines of conservation through partnerships with mission-driven leaders like The Nature Conservancy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Many of these collaborations are championed by Bren alumni eager to give back, designing fellowships that reflect the Bren School's rigorous, interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving. By fostering a culture of individualized mentorship, the Bren School ensures alumni remain actively engaged while graduate students gain leadership experience and undergraduates receive tailored guidance. This cycle of collaboration is rooted in its "paying it forward" ethos, creating a durable support network that empowers students to tackle complex global challenges. The work of our featured 2025 BEL team exemplifies this model in action.
In Summer 2025, Ashley Diedenhofen (Master's Candidate, 2026), joined BEL as a graduate fellow and project lead. Ashley is an experienced science communicator and founder of Science by Ashley, a platform dedicated to public education focused on environmental science and sustainable living. She was drawn to BEL by the opportunity to offer the kind of mentorship she wished she had received as an undergraduate.
Ashley was paired with Alyssa Boucher (Class of 2027), an undergraduate student with hands-on experience in local sustainability initiatives, including a student-led sustainable coffee program in Isla Vista that diverted more than 1,000 lbs of waste from landfills! While both brought strong individual backgrounds to the fellowship, they shared a commitment to collaborative, practice-oriented learning. Reflecting on her motivation to mentor, Ashley explained,
"I had a lot of professor mentorships but not a lot of peer mentors…. Being able to be a sounding board for someone else was important to me"
Bonded by shared interests in coastal sustainability and responsible business practices, Ashley and Alyssa interned with the Monterey Bay Aquarium's Seafood Watch to examine how major companies engage with sustainability ratings within the Blue Economy – the sustainable use and management of marine and coastal resources. This partnership was championed by Aquaculture Program Manager, Tyler Isaac, a Bren alumnus determined to pay his experience forward by creating a dedicated space for BEL interns. Tyler designed the internship to mirror the applied, entrepreneurial approach of the Bren Environmental Innovation & Entrepreneurship Program. His involvement highlights BEL's virtuous cycle: alumni support graduate leaders, who mentor undergraduates, while strengthening long-term institutional partnerships.
The project required engagement with senior decision-makers across corporate sustainability, procurement, and investment teams. Ashley noted that the experience significantly expanded her professional network and deepened her understanding of the global sustainability landscape. For Alyssa, the exposure was transformative:
"I didn't even [realize] we would be talking to C-level suite folks," she reflected. "As an undergrad, you don't get [this] whole perspective. It was really a growth opportunity for me."
The mentorship structure proved essential. Ashley initially guided Alyssa through note-taking and interview preparation, then gradually supported her in leading high-level stakeholder conversations. Through this progression, Alyssa gained confidence and clarity around potential career pathways, particularly in corporate sustainability, while learning that professional trajectories are often nonlinear.
For graduate students, BEL serves as a leadership incubator. Ashley led a complex qualitative assessment involving 12 external stakeholders, a project she might otherwise have tackled alone. Through the fellowship, she developed new management and delegation skills, learning when to step back and trust her undergraduate collaborator. As Ashley reflected, the experience gave her "confidence to grow that [mentee] relationship and learn how to loosen the reins."
Together, Ashley and Alyssa analyzed how companies use sustainability ratings, focusing on issues such as data gaps, product substitution dynamics, and ESG disclosure frameworks. Their interviews included representatives from organizations such as Whole Foods, Disney, The Cheesecake Factory and The Nature Conservancy, generating insights that directly informed partner decision-making.
BEL partners consistently report that student teams add value by creating a neutral, flexible space for exploration. Students are able to advance projects that may otherwise remain on the organizational back burner, while offering fresh analytical perspectives. Ashley observed that partners are often especially candid with students, enabling open discussions about challenges such as traceability and data limitations – uncovering insights internal teams might overlook.
Bren School building with palm trees and ocean view at UC Santa Barbara.
Supporting the BEL program means investing in a model with layered impact. Partner support enables internships, leadership development for graduate students, professional pathways for undergraduates, and high quality applied research for conservation and sustainability partners. Together, these investments help cultivate the next generation of environmental leaders while advancing solutions to pressing real-world challenges.
For more information, please contact: Dr. Lotus Vermeer Assistant Dean, Partnerships & Development Bren School of Environmental Science & Management (805) 893-3712 | lvermeer@bren.ucsb.edu