Sustainability Scoop

The Bonnie Reiss Climate Action Student Fellowship at UCSB empowers students like Abigail Balais and Michelle Shteynberg to lead sustainability initiatives, focusing on climate resilience, emergency preparedness, and sustainable transportation. Their work, supported by UCSB’s departments, highlights the power of student-driven change in tackling environmental challenges and fostering a more sustainable future.

The Bren Environmental Leadership (BEL) program at UCSB empowers first-generation, underrepresented, and low-income students to pursue careers in environmental science through paid summer fellowships. Participants collaborate on impactful projects, from wildfire resilience to climate change adaptation, while building skills in leadership, communication, and mentorship. By fostering connections among students, faculty, and environmental professionals, BEL creates a supportive community dedicated to advancing diversity, equity, and innovative solutions to critical environmental challenges.

Mariah Hudnut, Anthony Zaragoza, and Calvin Weinstock took on the role of Climate Action Fellow and tackled UCSB’s Scope 3 emissions through sustainable transportation solutions.

Biking has become a cultural marker of the UC Santa Barbara community, and Dr. Trisalyn Nelson along with the brilliant minds at SPAR Lab are working to ensure the safety of this sustainable transportation method.

UC Santa Barbara’s California NanoSystem Institute is cultivating innovation in their own labs by reducing glove waste.

The latest UC Santa Barbara Library Exhibit praises the power of student activism to create environmental change.

Happy City is about the importance of thoughtful urban planning, and how through it, big city life can bring its residents joy rather than stress.

UCSB’s Sea Level Rise (SLR) Adaptation Plan is a broad overview of how UCSB plans to adapt its buildings, infrastructure, beach access, and natural elements and resources to sea level rise in the coming decades.

UCSB Sustainability is pleased to announce that we have a new Acting Director, Katie Maynard.