The BEL Program: Paving the Way for Environmental Change at UCSB!

Imagine a program that takes on critical environmental challenges while also empowering underrepresented students to lead the change in environmental science. One of the many unique initiatives at the University of California, Santa Barbara is the Bren Environmental Leadership program (BEL) that provides paid summer fellowships for undergraduate students to work with Bren graduate students on environmental science projects. It stands to foster student and professor mentorship while building the next generation of environmental scientists and activists. With a wide range of projects each year, undergraduate and graduate students have the opportunity to develop their communication, leadership and mentoring skills over the duration of the program while working on environmentally conscious projects. The mission of the BEL program is to create a pathway for first-generation, underrepresented and/or low-income students to have the courage and foundation to pursue careers in environmental science. The BEL program is designed to empower students to take on environmental issues and challenges, on a local and global scale.   

BEL’s core mission and vision align with UCSB’s broader objectives of advancing inclusion, equity and diversity. Professor Anderson, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management and faculty mentor for the BEL program shared, “we do a lot of outreach to our partners on campus in order to identify students who might be first-gen, low income or underrepresented to make them aware of this opportunity.” Once students are in the program, the real work truly begins. The goal is to build each  student’s skill set and bring their interests and ideas to life.

The program also offers the opportunity for graduate students to build their leadership skills. Professor Anderson describes mentorship through BEL as “multilayered” with the presence of outside environmental professionals, faculty members who provide more academic-focused mentorship, and graduate students, she explains “I really appreciate the way it is structured, it automatically builds this community of folks and we can’t have only one mentor.” Izzy Sofio, a graduate student who joined the BEL program because she was excited about the BEL mission and thought it would be a great opportunity for her to build skills in mentorship and management, says “Being part of the BEL program taught me how to zoom out and consider these other objectives. As someone hoping to go into program or project management, learning how to zoom out and see the bigger, interpersonal picture feels like an invaluable skill.” 

The BEL program helped Izzy Sofio become a more mindful and resourceful mentor and student, “being the mentor in the BEL program makes you consider the bigger picture. It's not just about what we need to do or get done over the summer; it's more about how what we do supports other objectives, like self-confidence, teamwork, communication, and growth.”

Examples of past fellowships include Satellites and Data Science to build Climate Change resilience in Sub-Saharan Africa, determining Groundwater Pollution from Tobacco Product Waste and Methods to transform biosolids to eliminate release of PFAS and other contaminants to agricultural areas. One of the recent projects is on wildfire resilience where the fellows worked on Policy and Communication Wildfire Resilience to communicate the results of ecohydrological models exploring how climate change and climatology influence fire likelihood, severity, and behavior. Izzy Sofio gives us a glimpse into the project explaining, “For the last several years, a diverse group of scientists has been researching the pre-, during-, and after-effects of prescribed fire at Sedgwick Reserve. Prescribed fire is a tool land managers use to reduce wildfire risk and improve habitat, among many other management objectives. We started our work by interviewing the key researchers on the project to get a sense of the exciting preliminary findings, what else needs to be done, and how to scale this sort of research up in similar ecosystems. From there, we did a ton of writing based on the interviews and our own research. Ultimately, we developed two policy briefs, published an article, and created a dissemination plan for our materials. Our goal was to reach people working in policy and decision-making roles, in addition to funders, scientists, and the general public. Overall, we focused on communicating how we can and should use fire to fight fire, especially in California's fire-prone coastal foothills.” That's just one of the many projects and many ways fellows can tackle a specific environmental challenge. 

The BEL program is an opportunity for undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty to communicate, mentor and work on meaningful projects. It is a home to many who are not only looking to work in the environmental science field but learn valuable lifelong skills. Izzy Sofio says, “ I think this program is a great place for students to find their footing in environmental science. It's a welcoming space for them to learn, grow, and have fun with a topic that they may already be stoked on or are just hearing about for the first time.” 

When I asked Professor Anderson for any advice for students from a faculty perspective she explained, “connect to folks on campus who share your interest. There will be conversations that feed each other's passions and go beyond that, and connect to faculty who might have more knowledge of opportunities.” The learning process always begins and ends with connections of students and faculty who have knowledge or know of someone with more knowledge. 

For questions from students or organizations interested in joining the program, please contact BEL Program Director, Krystal Onyekwuleje (krystal@bren.ucsb.edu)