Welcome to the Alumni and Class Giving webpage! Bren School graduates have earned the finest multidisciplinary and multi-faceted environmental training in the nation. Each year a new class of nearly 60 environmental leaders departs Bren and takes their place in the world providing vision, leadership, and expertise. The Bren School is extremely proud of its alumni, their achievements, and their potential to positively impact the world and our environment for years to come. Through a network of alumni communications and ongoing interactions with the Bren School, we are building a community that ensures that our students, faculty, and alumni will have the resources they need to meet and achieve their unique goals now and into the future. Communication between alumni in each class and the Bren School is facilitated by a Class Chair. Class Chairs provide meaningful feedback to the School from the work world, open doors to internship, employment opportunities, and matching gifts. Each year Class Chairs play a leadership role in helping to rally classmates to provide annual support to the School by way of personal contributions. It is through the support of our alumni and friends that the School and its programs remain the best in the world for their comprehensive, cutting-edge approaches to environmental science and management. You are encouraged to communicate with your Class Chair and the School when you move, change jobs, or have any news to share. We are eager to feature our alumni in the news, on the web, and in our printed materials, so please tell us your stories and join us all in sustaining the Bren community.
You are always welcome at Bren. Please visit our Events web page to keep abreast of seminars, conferences, and special events at the School. We hope to see you soon!
If you are interested in serving as Class Chair, please click the link and fill out the application.
ALUMNI & CLASS CHAIRS CONTACT INFORMATION |
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Julia Griffin University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131 |
Co-Chairs, Class of 2009
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Samantha Port-Minner University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131 |
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Julia Griffin earned her BS with a concentration in Marine Biology, a minor in Psychology, and a minor in Dance in 2007 from Duke University. During her undergraduate career, Julia organized numerous fundraising events for her dance team and Make-A-Wish Foundation. Activities included silent auctions, evening social events, and corporate contributions. Prior to coming to the Bren School, Julia was an aquarium intern at the Maria Mitchell Association Aquarium in Nantucket, Mass., anda lab assistant at the Duke Marine Lab. Julia is a 2007-2008 recipient of a Barry and Jean Schuyler Prize at the Bren School. |
Samantha Port-Minner earned her BS in Marine Biology with a minor in Chemistry in 2004 from San Jose State University. As a freshman and sophomore, Samantha served as Philanthropy Chair for her residence hall, leading efforts to benefit a San Jose shelter for abused women and children. In 2003 she received the Arthur and Karin Nelson Scholarship and was a Dean's Scholar in 2004. Prior to coming to the Bren School, Samantha was a scientist at Arcadis – BBL Inc. in Walnut Creek, Calif. In the past two years she has continued her philanthropic activity with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training Program and has raised more than $3,000 through letter writing, bake sales, social fundraising events, and personal solicitations. Samantha is the recipient of the Naomi Schwartz Prize at the Bren School. |
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The Alumni Co-Chair teams of Lucas Bare and Kelli McCune and Ashley Apel and Gia Brazil will continue the leadership of the class of 2009 in second and third terms, respectively. |
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Co-Chairs, Class of 2008
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Ashley Conrad-Saydah specializes in Conservation Planning with an emphasis on integrating ecology and economics to transform urban and agricultural areas into more environmentally sustainable and community-oriented landscapes. She is a Doris Duke Conservation Fellow and works as a Graduate Research Fellow at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis. Prior to Bren, Ashley worked as an education program manager at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, coordinated and led outdoor trips in New England and grew up in suburban New York. While serving as co-Class Chair with Trevor O’Grady, Ashley plans to draw upon the development experience she gained volunteering with Princeton University Annual Giving. Ashley sings with Brengrass and enjoys riding her bike, swimming, throwing dinner parties, backpacking and laughing. Ashley Conrad-Saydah University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131
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Trevor O’Grady is currently specializing in Political Economy of the Environment and is the recent recipient of the Gary and Joanne Hunt Fellowship in Environmental Law and Policy. His interests lay both in corporate social responsibility analysis and innovation in property rights approaches. Before coming to Bren, Trevor completed a double major in Biology and Economics at Rutgers University, and competed as a Scarlet Knight for the school’s track and field team. As captain of the track team, he set school and conference records in the decathlon and heptathlon and was selected as an Academic All-American by ESPN the Magazine in 2006. Trevor has held various jobs that include working as a research assistant, a youth counselor, and his favorite, a bassist in a rock band. Trevor loves a good conversation, kids, The Beatles, really big trees, and the occasional hefeweizen. Trevor O'Grady University of California Santa Barbara, CA 93106-5131 |
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The Class of 2007 gave $860 for the purchase of a portable spotting scope for use by all on the 2nd Floor Deckers Outdoor Terrace. Additionally, funds in excess of the purchase price of the scope were directed to the Diversity @ Bren fund to promote outreach to under-represented populations in our recruiting of future classes. The Class Gift was formally presented by Class Chair, Brent Miller to the Dean at Commencement on Friday, June 15, 2007. |
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BJ Danetra brings the spotting scope out at commencement. |
Class President Brent Miller presents the Class Gift at commencement. |
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Class Chair 2007 Brent Miller Data Analyst Clipper Windpower Inc. 6305 Carpinteria Avenue Carpinteria, CA 93013 bmillinca@hotmail.com (preferred) bmiller@clipper.com (work) |
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Brent Miller is a Data Analyst at Clipper Windpower Inc. While at the Bren School he specialized in Corporate Environmental Management with an emphasis on renewable energy. His Bren School Group Project, Campus Climate Neutral II (CCNII), focused on implementing the recommendations provided by CCNI. As a second year Bren Student, Brent served as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Bren, a Graduate Students' Association representative, and remains an active member of the UCSB chapter of Engineers Without Borders. Brent’s continued goal is contribute to the development and proliferation of renewable energy. Brent enjoys surfing, intramural basketball, and singing and playing guitar. |
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Class Chair Fahmida Ahmad and Assistant Dean of Development Jennifer Purcell Deacon |
The Class of 2006 gave $2,340 towards increasing the diversity of Bren’s student body. Maintaining a diverse student body enhances the school's responsiveness to an increasingly diverse world, improves relations with the surrounding community, and expands the creativity of the organization. Over the years, Bren has engaged in activities to increase the school’s diversity. This gift will help the Bren school further its commitment to diversity by strengthening and formalizing its current activities and developing new strategies for increased diversity so that Bren’s student body will ultimately reflect California’s and the nation's diverse population. |
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Class Chair 2006 Fahmida Ahmed Manager, Sustainability Programs Stanford University |
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As the Manager for Sustainability Programs with the Office of Sustainability and Energy Management at Stanford University, Fahmida Ahmed heads a working group comprising representatives from academic departments and administrative offices across campus. The office makes sustainability policy and program recommendations to university leadership in the areas of transportation, water, energy and atmosphere, and sustainable construction and procurement. Fahmida also assists in developing and implementing a campus greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction plan. Her work emanates from three concepts articulated by Stanford: respect for the environment, social equity, and sound fiscal judgment based on long-term horizons. Prior to arriving at Stanford, Fahmida served as the Sustainability Specialist at UC Berkeley, where she developed and managed the Climate Action Program, a GHG-reduction research and implementation program. She received a Master's in Public Environmental Managent with a focus in climate change policy from the Bren School in 2006. She earned a BA in Economics from Smith College. |
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$1,000 to create a Leadership Award for a first year student in the Class of 2007 who exemplifies environmental leadership in the spirit and tradition of the Class of 2005. The remaining $400 will be used to enable four Bren students to attend the annual Environmental Defense Council Event to raise visibility about the Bren School in the community and support a cause that the Class of 2005 feels especially strong about. Class Chair Karen Wolowicz presents Class Gift to |
Class Chair 2005 Karen Wolowicz |
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Karen Wolowicz graduated June 2005 earning her MESM at the Bren School with a specialization in Political Economy of the Environment. Beginning in Spring 2004, her master's group project worked on designing environmental enforcement indicators for developing countries. After graduation, Karen hopes to work with a government agency or a non-governmental organization in coastal policy enforcement or development. |
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The precedent-setting gift of the Class of 2004 truly manifests environmentalism in action: they dedicated it to the purchase of the retirement of 500 metric tons of carbon dioxide – the equivalent of the yearly CO2 emissions of 80 automobiles. Read the story here! |
Class Chair 2004 Jana Hartline |
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Jana Hartline is an environmental engineer with Toyota Motor Sales in Torrance, Calif. At Toyota, Jana helps foster the "beyond compliance" goals for all North America facilities. Toward that end, she supports regulatory compliance, manages the EnvironmentalOps compliance-tracking database, and assists in the phase-out/replacement of listed chemicals from all operations. Jana is a coordinator of the Toyota Charitable Contribution Campaign, which raises donations for various charitable organizations, such as the March of Dimes and United Way. |
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The Bren School is particularly appreciative of the Class of 2003's gift to the Class of 2004 MESM students, which was used for an evening of team-building and professional development at the Wine Cask Restaurant in Santa Barbara. |
Class Chair 2003 John Onderdonk 777 S. Figueroa St., 13th Floor Los Angeles, CA 90017 Tel: 213-689-3935 Fax: 213-689-3942 |
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John Onderdonk is a risk analyst and underwriter for AIG Environmental. He works with brokers and corporate clients to help them assess their environmental risk and provide them with environmental liability insurance. John also helps manage a family ranch in the Paso Robles area that produces grass fed, natural beef. John lives in Pasadena with his wife Katrina and daughter Ella. When he is not working or spending time with his family, John enjoys playing soccer, mountain biking, sailing and just being outdoors. |
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Class Chair 2002 Clarice Wilson |
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Clarice Wilson is currently a Program Associate for the Urban Environmental Management Team at the United Nations University in Yokohama, Japan. At the Bren School she specialized in environmental economics and policy. Prior to joining UNU, she was a consultant for the Division of Global Environment Facility Coordination (UNEP/DGEF) and the Division of Early Warning Assessment (UNEP/DEWA), in collaboration with the Indian Ocean Commission, in Nairobi, Kenya. Clarice worked on developing the Environment Initiative for the New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD) and the State of the Environmental Report for Indian Ocean and African Small Island Developing States respectively. |
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Shawn with his sons, |
Class Chair 2001 Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project 109 Fillmore Avenue Oxnard, CA 93035 (805)-984-9531 |
Shawn Kelly has a Bachelors of Science in Ocean Engineering from Texas A&M University, and, prior to coming to the Bren School, worked as an Ocean Engineer for the Naval Facilities Engineering Service Center’s Ocean Engineering Department. He currently is a Program Manager for the California Coastal Conservancy’s Southern California Wetlands Recovery Project (WRP), a position he has held since graduating from the Bren School. The WRP is a partnership of 17 Federal and State public agencies working cooperatively to acquire, restore, and enhance coastal wetlands and watersheds between Point Conception and the border with Mexico. Shawn's professional interests include coastal land use policy, coastal streams and wetlands, physical oceanography, marine fisheries, and ocean engineering. Shawn is an avid outdoorsman, world traveler, and environmental advocate. His outdoor pursuits include surfing, snowboarding, and mountain biking. Shawn is the father of two boys, Aidan and Riley. |
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Class Chair 2000 Jorine Campopiano Marc (Bren '00, Jorine (Bren '00) and Jackson (January 2006)
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Jorine Campopiano has worked for the past two years as an environmental scientist for EPA in San Francisco involved with complex permitting and enforcement under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act in California, Arizona, Nevada, and the Pacific Islands. She works on a variety of large-scale and controversial projects including transportation, large residential and commercial developments, and industrial operations. Through the regulatory process, she continually seeks to improve projects by advocating innovative and practicable mitigation measures to decrease or eliminate impacts to the aquatic ecosystem. Prior to working at EPA, Jorine worked for the Ventura County Watershed Protection District and Beach Environmental, a consulting firm in Aspen, Colorado. |
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Class Chair 1999 Sam Hitz |
Sam Hitz is Vice President of the California Climate Action Registry, a greenhouse gas registry that encourages California companies to measure and report their emissions. He oversees all policy efforts, including the development and maintenance of technical reporting guidelines. He is responsible for leading the Registry’s collaborative efforts with other states and countries and for guiding the Registry’s emerging work in the area of project level reporting. Prior to joining the Registry, Sam was part of the climate change practice at Stratus Consulting, where he worked on vulnerability and impact assessments, as well as the development of adaptation of mitigation strategies for clients that spanned the private, government and multi-lateral sectors. After graduating from the Bren School Sam lived and worked in Nairobi, Kenya for three years. From 2000-2001, as a Fulbright Fellow he partnered with the African Centre for Technology Studies to design and implement a comprehensive assessment of the environmental services sector in Nairobi’s largest informal settlement. He subsequently worked with several NGOs in securing funding for and implementing related development initiatives. Sam co-founded Youth in Development Group, a community development organization run entirely by young Kenyans from Nairobi's largest slum, that works to improve health, environmental and economic conditions in the city's informal settlements. Sam received his Bachelor’s degree in Earth and Planetary Sciences from Harvard University. He currently lives in Los Angeles, where the Climate Registry is located. |
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Class Chair 1998 |
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As an engineering technician for the County of Santa Barbara's Project Clean Water, Tommy Liddell directs the dry- and wet-weather sampling programs, performs annual walks of local creeks and beaches, manages the Project Clean Water GIS, responds to citizen complaints, and assists in the development of the County's Storm Water Management Program, as required by the NPDES program. When he's not out stomping around in creeks, Tommy enjoys spending time with his wife Heather and son Tyler, lifting weights, and working on his new house in Ventura. |
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