Current Interns

Adam Araza is a fourth-year student majoring in geography with a GIS emphasis. His interests include sustainable transportation, green business practices, and using GIS to examine human behavior. He has worked as an undergrad assistant in the GeoTrans lab, assisted with the Santa Barbara County Green Business Certification of four stores on the UCSB campus, and worked on an interactive map prototype with the goal of mapping crimes in Isla Vista. This year, Adam will continue interning with PACES, collaborating with campus departments working toward Green Office Certifications. He will also begin working with the Interactive Campus Map team developing Sustainability Layers.

Jonny Conner is a senior Geography major and Global Security minor at UC Santa Barbara. Jonny transferred into the University but has previous work experience with a forestry company who abides by the sustainable forestry initiative (SFI). With the SFI in effect the company focuses on modern sustainable forestry techniques, the protection of water, resources and wildlife, and well-conceptualized long-term planning. This year Jonny will be a GIS Data Technician and assist a team on updating the current interactive campus map for the UC Santa Barbara campus.

 

Rachel Culhane is a third year undergraduate double majoring in Communication and Film and Media Studies. She plans to graduate at the end of this Summer after studying abroad at Sussex University in Brighton, England. Her many interests involve music/singing, healthy living, helping others, environmental affairs, traveling, socializing, and keeping busy. Rachel is the current president of UCSB’s co-ed a capella group Naked Voices and research chair for the premier musical group Medical Music. As a 6 year vegetarian, she is passionate about nutrition and currently volunteers as a nutritional educator for the Santa Barbara Food Bank kid’s after school program. In the past, she has volunteered as a teacher for numerous after school, dance, bible, and summer school programs. In addition to her rigorous school and volunteer schedule, Rachel works part time as a server in Goleta. After graduating, she hopes to work as a volunteer in the Peace Corps.

Jason Dale is a fourth year undergraduate at UCSB pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. As a student worker with the Cheadle Center for Biological and Ecological Restoration (CCBER), Jason has acquired a working knowledge of ecological stewardship and its interplay with human development. Following his time with CCBER, Jason was an intern with the UCSB Environmental Health and Safety department and assisted with statutory environmental compliance. Jason has volunteered his time in a Freshwater Ecology Laboratory where he developed an understanding of lab practices. During the summer of 2012, Jason completed an internship with the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) where he worked on Energy Planning for the San Diego region. By aggregating his USGBC LEED GA certification coupled with an understanding of energy efficiency and sustainability, Jason is working with the LabRATS team to further Laboratory Sustainability on the UCSB campus.

Cherise Dixon is a fourth year senior, currently pursuing a double major in Global Studies and Sociology. She has recently studied abroad in London where she took classes about the effects of climate change and emissions such as carbon on the environment. In addition to her academic pursuits, Cherise is a member of the Track and Field team. She represents UCSB through events including the 400m hurdles and 100m hurdles. Cherise has also participated in several volunteer activities on campus and in the Isla Vista community from freshmen move in to creating awareness of the importance of exercise. She looks forward to making UCSB a sustainable campus with more efficient energy options. This year, Cherise will be working on the development of creating a sustainable food cart that will offer people on campus a more eco-friendly option.

 

Rebecca Ellen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Molly Gordon is a senior in Environmental Studies at UCSB. She currently sits as the chair of The Green Initiative Fund and as an active member of Environmental Affairs Board, Isla Vista Surfrider and Environmental Education for the Next Generation. Last year as an Environmental Affairs Coordinator for Associated Students she was able to be a liaison for many different campus environmental groups before taking off to Costa Rica in the spring with the Wildlands Studies program. Though some of her main interests are resource conservation, global food issues and public health and wellness, she is excited to work as an intern in the curriculum field especially regarding sustainability in academics.

 

 

Carl Greenfield is a third year double major in Environmental Studies and Global Studies. He is interested in sustainable development as well as local green initiatives. Carl is currently in the process of establishing an Environmental Brigades chapter at UCSB which emphasizes the need for reforestation, sustainable agriculture, waste management and education in rural communities in developing nations.  In the summer of 2012, he studied global change and international governance in Geneva, Switzerland through UCLA’s Department of Urban Planning. This year, Carl will work as the Curriculum Intern focusing on establishing an environmental general education requirement as well as supporting faculty to incorporate sustainability into new courses.

 

Austin Grego is a third-year Communication major and is pursuing a minor in Professional Writing. As a sustainability intern, he will help highlight on-campus faculty research by writing for the UCSB Sustainability newsletter and blog. Being from Huntington Beach, his passions include surfing, riding bikes, and occasionally going barefoot—all reasons why he was drawn to UCSB. Sometime in the last decade, he heard about going green and decided to give it a try. He currently races for the UCSB Cycling Team and believes bicycles are the best way to get around.

 

 

Martin Harrison

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tanya Hernandez is a fourth year double major in Communications and Religious Studies. She worked in the Marketing and Development Office at the UCSB Athletics Department for almost two years. She then studied in South Africa for a year where she volunteered with an education program where she taught English to first and second graders in townships on the outskirts of Cape Town. This year she is working as an Event Planning Assistant for the CA Higher Education Sustainability Conference. She plans to pursue a career in international affairs.

 

 

 

Karen Housel is a third-year undergrad studying Environmental Science. Karen volunteered as a Teacher’s Assistant at Isla Vista’s Children’s Center to help children from underprivileged families. Karen also interned on Sands Beach last summer as a Snowy Plover Docent and currently works as Supervisor at the Corner Store on UCSB campus.  This year she is a Sustainable Research Intern, where she will facilitate conversations between researchers and highlight sustainable research being done at UCSB. Karen hopes to someday use her passions for sustainability and women’s rights to provide access to family planning centers and contraceptives in third world countries.  Karen is also interested in doing lab work and research on coastal ecosystems.

 

 

 

Stephen Huynh is a third-year, pursing a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies. His interests include food production and teaching youth. Starting in the fall of 2011, he volunteered with the S’Cool Gardens Program at Ellwood Elementary – helping maintain the garden there and assisting with lesson plans. He has also been involved in teaching and tutoring students of various grade levels in Long Beach. He is interested in pursuing teaching as a career after graduation.

 

 

 

Melissa Jensen

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julie Keller is a freshman Environmental Studies major.  At the 2012 Spring Insight, she was intrigued by the PACES program booth and reached out to the advisor in order to get involved.  During this summer, she has been researching ways in order to motivate faculty to adapt their teaching modes  towards a sustaining approach.  In high school, Julie was always very self-motivated and passionate about making a change.  Particularly, her participation in the Go Green Club, which organized recycling around campus, her fundraising for St. Jude´s Children Research Hospital, and involvement with Friendship Circle, an organization that works with special needs children.  Julie has always been motivated to make a change, and she is very excited to bring these qualities to the PACES program this upcoming fall, whether it be researching, aiding projects, or starting her own.

 

 

Alex Kovalick

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chellsee Lee is a third year Environmental Studies Major and Black Studies Minor at UCSB.  She is the current Clean Energy Chair of the Environmental Affairs Board where she founded the clean energy campaign team, University of California for Clean Energy (UCCE). Chellsee also acts as an instructor for Environmental Education for the Next Generation and is the Entertainment Chair for the UCSB Dance Marathon chapter.  Her two goals are to create an Environmental Social Justice Non-Profit and an environmental documentary film that makes people believe again.  Her favorite movie is The Sandlot and truly lives by the Babe’s famous words: “Heroes get remembered, but legends never die.”

 

 Lauren Menzer is actively involved in various environmental organizations on campus to further sustainability practices at UCSB.   As a freshman, she worked with the Compost Pilot Project to successfully implement composting on campus, and continually promotes expanding this project throughout campus.  As a second-year doubling in Environmental Studies and Political Science, she continually increases sustainability awareness across UCSB being the Co-Chair of Zero Waste Committee, Outreach Staff for AS Recycling, and a member of the Change Agent Waste Team.  Her goal for this year is to successfully incorporate universal paper-towel composting to further adhere to the UC-wide goal of zero waste by 2020.  She is now working as an assistant for the CHESC conference held June 2013.  In the future, she aspires to apply all that she has learned in an environmental sector job to further world-wide conservation and sustainability.

 

Andrea Nunez transferred from UC Riverside in 2011, where she was involved with Sustainable UCR and Social Justice Alliance. Inspirational colleagues and her involvement in student activism motivated her to undergo a drastic change from English to Environmental Studies, upon her arrival to UCSB. Andrea is currently a fourth-year Environmental Studies Major and an English minor.  Last year, she partnered with the Early Academic Outreach Program and the Sustainability Internship Program to design and launch the Educating Future Leaders Program, which raises awareness of green academic and career pathways amongst high school aged at-risk youth. Andrea is also an intern with the PACES Program, our Green Office Certification Program. She plans to pursue a masters degree in Environmental Toxicology and Public Health.

 

Cecelia Osborn’s two passions, education and sustainability, stem from her great appreciation for the outdoors and an intense interest in alternative education. She pursues her passion for education in her Psychology Major and Education Minor at UCSB, as well as in her involvement with Sprout Up. Each week Cecelia leads a group of fellow Sprout Up instructors in elementary school classrooms to teach environmental science and sustainability lessons. In addition, she develops Sprout Up’s curriculum on its Education Team. Aside from her studies and involvement with Sprout Up, Cecelia is involved with the Environmental Affairs Board and Zero Waste Committee on campus. As EAB’s Green Bill consultant, she develops resources and programs that assist A.S. organizations increase their environmental awareness and adopt sustainable practices. As the ZWC’s Vice Chairperson, she plays an important role in developing projects that minimize waste on campus.

Nick Parker is a second year Mechanical Engineering major. In 2010, he worked with Caltech in a research program dedicated to finding more efficient ways to create usable energy with the help of sunlight where he tested different solutions to find cheaper and more efficient chemicals to use in solar panels. Currently, he is working as an undergraduate research assistant in a multi-campus coagulopathy project (a condition in which the blood’s ability to clot is impaired). This year, Nick will be an intern for LabRATS, where he will be launching a national lab sustainability website for Green Labs Planning. Nick is interested in finding and implementing the use of more efficient sustainable materials and advancing medical technology to bring a more healthful future.

 

Deborah Pena is a fourth-year Religious Studies major. She served as an Educational Programs Intern at UCSB Summer Sessions for two years.  There she worked with the Freshman Summer Start Program, The Research Mentorship Program, and The Transitions Program. She is also the Vice-President and Chapter founder of the Global Brigades Micro-Finance Chapter.  She will be overseeing and establishing the chapter so that it can have a lasting impact on campus. This year she will be a business development intern for the UCSB Sustainability Internship Program in Geography. She will be assisting in laying the groundwork for establishing the Sustainable Food Cart on the campus.

 

 

Jazmine Saucedo is a second year Environmental Studies and Sociology major at UC Santa Barbara. She is a youth educator for Educating Future Leaders (ELF) and a member of the Environmental Affairs Board. She is interested in environmental justice and has dedicated her summers as a program coordinator at a local non-profit organization in the San Fernando Valley, Project Youth Green. The program allows for low-income families to have access to green space and to their very own gardens providing them with naturally grown fruits and vegetables. She also works as an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) tutor at La Cumbre Junior High mentoring in math and college readiness.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Olivier Sinoncelli is a fourth year double major in Environmental and Global Studies. He has received Dean’s Honors in three quarters and received several merit based scholarships.  He is active in the local community as an instructor with Environmental Education for the Next Generation.  In 2011, he  studied global environmental politics and law in Bordeaux, France. As a new Director of the Ecological Stewardship and Policy Program, he  is preparing the program for the fall launch of their new training program and internship model. He plans to attend law school and become an environmental attorney.

 

 

Noelle Steele is a second year Environmental Studies major and a Music minor at UC Santa Barbara. She is interested in recycling, ecology and protecting the ocean. As an surfer and stand up paddle boarder, Noelle has participated in many beach clean ups at home in Laguna Beach and in Santa Barbara.  She is interested in a career involving sustainable and environmentally friendly clothing or interior design. Noelle has worked for Nordstrom in multiple sales jobs, and would like to pursue her career in an eco friendly way. She is also a member of Delta Delta Delta, serves as the Panhellenic Delegate and raises money for St. Jude’s Children Hospital.

 

 

 

Amanda Tam is a fourth year Environmental Studies Major and Women, Culture, and Development Minor at UC Santa Barbara. She studied abroad in Botswana during her third year where she studied Environmental Studies and Public Health. She is interested in conservation as sustainable energy and how that can also be applied to developing countries. This past summer she lived in a slum in Kolkata, India where she was able to experience life among the urban poor. She is actively involved as a leader in InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, which she loves dearly. This school year, Amanda is really looking forward to being a Green Office Coordinator with PACES and helping UCSB become more efficient in how it uses the planet’s resources.

 

 

Zac Trafny is a third year communication and sociology double major working in the realm of sustainability for the first time. Sociology courses focusing on agent-structure interaction (how individuals’ behavior creates and is influenced by the larger society in which they live), current environmental practices and human production of waste have prompted his interest in sustainability, and the moral imperative to use resources responsibly has solidified his passion for fostering beneficent environmental stewardship.  Zac has worked in several departments around campus providing guest service, and he is excited to continue working closely with individuals in the community. As service learning coordinator, he will collaborate with professors and students to create opportunities for community involvement while measuring that involvement so that UCSB’s contributions are nationally recognized. Aside from academics, Zac plays the drums, surfs, hikes, rock climbs, and tries to experience as much of life as he can.

Felice Tsui is a fourth year Communications major in pursuit of the Professional Writing minor. She recently returned from studying abroad in Singapore and traveling throughout South East Asia, and is now enjoying her position as the Public Relations Intern at ReviveHealth in Santa Barbara. As one of the event planning interns, she will assist with the marketing, fundraising, and planning of California’s Higher Education Sustainability Conference. With a dual interest in health and nutrition, as well as cultural integration, she hopes to work abroad in the field of public health after graduation. She is also keen on yoga, hiking, and cooking, and is excited to learn more about sustainability.

 

 

 

 

Ariella Yendler

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Alumni

Erica Aguilera is a senior Environmental Studies major, at UC, Santa Barbara. She served as the Outreach and Education Coordinator for Coastal Fund for two years. There she developed and facilitated several strategic planning sessions, and is responsible for developing the internship program. As the Co-Founder and Director of the UCSB-Plastic Pollution Coalition, she played a vital role in planning the first “Day Without A Bag” at UCSB, and worked with the campus bookstore to eliminate the use of plastic bags. She continues to work with campus entities to eradicate plastic waste from UCSB. She strives to make a positive impact on her community and to make the world a better place.

 

Caroline Bargo is a fourth year student in the Environmental Studies program, with an emphasis in Urban Planning and Architecture. Her interests lie mainly in sustainable energy resources and their wide-scale implementation.  She studied abroad in Copenhagen and witnessed a massive infrastructure of renewable energy, which sparked her interest into the topic. She has been a member of the UCSB Rowing team for the past three years, and continues on into her fourth year. She will graduate this year with Distinction in the Major after writing a senior thesis on Scandinavian energy programs.

Branden Buffington is a fourth year Environmental Studies Major. In 2011, he volunteered with the Santa Barbara Foodbank and helped extensively with their Kids’ Farmer’s Market Program. This program provides fresh and organic produce along with nutritional education to low-income children in the Santa Barbara area. This year, Branden has taken on the role of the Energy Programs Coordinator for the UCSB Sustainability Internship Program in Geography.  In this role, he will be identifying successful multi-jurisdictional partnerships in renewable energy and writing case studies based on existing models, partnering with the PowerSave Green Campus Program to support their Residential Hall Energy Competition, and assisting the UCSB’s Green Office Certification Program, PACES in departmental assessments.

Mason Goodman is a senior at UC Santa Barbara in the Environmental Studies program. His interests include environmental consulting as well as environmental law. Mason has interned at Puma Canyon Ranch, where he helped maintain facilities and planted native species. He has also volunteered at Coal Oil Point Reserve where he was a Snowy Plover Docent. While a docent he maintained critical habitat, enforced beach rules and educated the public. This year Mason will begin interning with the PACES program and looks forward to making UCSB a more sustainable university.

 

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