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Giving - Corporate Giving

CORPORATE PARTNERS PROGRAM

The Corporate Partners Program is the means through which the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management forms mutually beneficial alliances with local and national corporations and non-governmental organizations that share our commitment to sustainable enterprise, leading-edge research, and educational programs of preeminent quality. Because the Bren School offers the only professional Master of Environmental Science and Management (MESM) program in the western United States, we are in a unique position to provide leadership to corporations and non-governmental organizations across the region, the Pacific Rim, and the world.

2008 Corporate Partners Summit

Previous Corporate Partners Summits

 

“We at Deckers Outdoor Corporation are tremendously excited about our partnership with the Bren School through the Corporate Partners Program. We are two different kinds of organizations working together toward a shared vision. As a company that is committed to operating sustainably and producing high-quality Earth-friendly products, we value the exceptional environmental professionals who are coming out of the Bren School.”

Angel Martinez, CEO and President, Deckers Outdoor Corporation

 

In my job, I need to understand the interconnectedness of environmental issues, see the big-picture goals, understand the policy and science of climate change, and conduct complex analysis involving large amounts of data. Bren prepared me for all that, and I use so much of what I learned there – Earth-system science, policy, law, statistics, and my familiarity with where to go for information. The level and amount of the work made for fewer surprises once I entered the professional world.

Erin Fisher (MESM 2007)

Analyst, Corporate Environmental Assessments

The Walt Disney Company

 

The annual Corporate Summit provides an informal setting where we can meet other companies and leaders who share our values, and freely discuss the issues we all struggle with. It’s a sort of incubator, a safe haven for people who are dealing with environmental performance and management issues. One advantage of a university is that it allows people to think about problems in a less structured way. The Corporate Partners program allows me to interact with other folks in a similar way.

—Jack Sahl

Director, Environment & Resource Sustainability

Southern California Edison

 

In redesigning the Toyota International Teacher Program, we wanted to focus more on environmental sustainability and ensure the program was structured so that secondary-school teachers could return to the classroom with useful environmental tools and solutions for the next generation. It was important for the program designers to realize that environmental problems are complex and have multiple layers relating to various disciplines. Several Bren professors worked with us, helping us to understand what we need to cover from a learning perspective and to develop a new solutions-based focus. They outlined a realistic approach to what we can reasonably do with 40 teachers during a two-week stay. Out of our interaction, we also created another summer internship, a fellowship, and a professor-in-residence component to support teachers participating in the International Teacher Program.

—Jana Hartline, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, Inc.

 

Joaquin (Neira, Bren '06) is a valuable addition to our growing environmental risk practice as we work to develop targeted solutions to protect our customers from environmental liabilities. As a Bren School Corporate Partner, Zurich has access to highly motivated students like Joaquin, who understand both environmental and business issues.


—Kenneth Berger, CEO, Zurich Environmental

 

Being a Bren School Corporate Parnter provides us with direct access to a pool of high talented and well-trained applicants. The School's interdisciplinary training in management, economics, policy, law, and science enables its graduates to understsand both the business and environmental science challenges that are so critical to effectively managing today's complex environmental projects. We look forward to maintaining a strong relationship with the school and continuing to work with Bren students and graduates as interns, colleagues, and professional project leaders.

—Bob Weber, President, ENSR

 

Our Bren intern was a pleasure to work with. His participation has verified to us both the quality and value of our association with the Bren School as a Corporate Partner.

—Paul B. Manson, President, Sea Breeze Power Corporation

PARTNERING WITH THE BREN SCHOOL

Through the annual investment and involvement of corporate members, the Bren School is able to create a unique environment in which students, faculty, and community engage in solution-centered research and education that results in environmental problem solving of the highest caliber.

Annual membership in Corporate Partners is by invitation and is limited to companies and NGOs that can provide useful linkages for Bren students and faculty. Member organizations are those that have demonstrated strong environmental performance, as evidenced through environmental reports or quality ratings, or who are committed to improving their environmental performance. The Bren School seeks out corporations that model socially and environmentally responsible behavior to inspire the next generation of leaders.

Member organizations make a financial investment in the Bren School based on a sliding scale relative to an organization's size, with levels at $5,000 and $10,000. Multi-year pledges and endowments are encouraged, and create more visible opportunities for lasting recognition and naming.

The Bren School provides networking opportunities for managers and executives from Corporate Partner organizations through Corporate Partners Regional Receptions, the Dean's Breakfast Club, and the Corporate Partners Summit.


Marsha Marcoe
Corporate Liaison

MEMBERSHIP

For information on the benefits of membership, please contact Corporate Liaison Marsha Marcoe at (805) 893-7457 or marsha@bren.ucsb.edu.

Corporate Partners enjoy many benefits of the Bren School Career Development Employer Services.

 


Timothy J. Cohen

Chair

"A graduate education is a key advantage in today's environmental marketplace. The Bren School is providing its students with the tools to succeed. We value the priority recruiting opportunities made possible through Corporate Partnership."

— Timothy J. Cohen, Vice President, URS

Chair, Bren School Corporate Partners Program


STRATEGIC PARTNERS

To help realize the vision of the Donald Bren Hall as the greenest laboratory building in America at the time it was built, the Bren School partnered with many corporations that, like our Corporate Partners, share our commitment to sustainable enterprise, cutting-edge research, and educational programs of the highest quality, and partnered with us to achieve the USGBC's LEED Platinum certification.

These and other vendors who donate high-performance materials are recommended for use throughout the UC system, which is embarked on a plan to "green" its system of campuses and to set the example of leading-edge sustainable design and construction for the state of California and the nation. The Bren School appreciates and acknowledges the important contribution of its Strategic Partners.

 

CORPORATE PARTNER INTERNSHIPS

Each year, competitive scholarships allowing Bren students to work as interns outside the Santa Barbara area are made possible through annual contributions received from our Corporate Partner organizations. In 2008, the 14 outstanding students listed below received Internship Scholarships that enabled them to broaden the scope of their professional experiences during the summer, before returning to Santa Barbara to complete their second year at the Bren School. When these students enter the job market in summer 2009, they will bring a combination of superior academic preparation and excellent real-world training that will significantly enhance their qualification and desirability as prospective employees.

Last Name

First Name

Organization

Location

Abbey

Heather

Fundacion para la Sobrevivencia del Pueblo Cofan (FSC)

Quito, Ecuador

Beadle

Kristian

Conservation International

Galapagos Islands, Ecuador

Brazil

Gia

Playa Viva

Zihuatanejo, Mexico and San Mateo, CA

Ching

Carolyn

World Business Council for Sustainable Development

Geneva, Switzerland

Dean

Ashley

Playa Viva

Zihuatanejo, Mexico and San Mateo, CA

Feraldi

Rebe

Arcelor Mittal

Metz, France

Godlove

Alicia

William Jefferson Clinton Foundation – Climate Change Initiative

New York, NY

Hess

Lauren

James Cook University

Townsville, Australia

Johnson

Phil

Department of Environmental Quality – Commonwealth of N. Marianna Islands

Saipan

Port-Minner

Samantha

Seafood Watch – Monterey Bay Aquarium Foundation

Monterey, CA

Radhakrishnan

Uthra

IUCN

Gland, Switzerland

Scarborough

Courtney

Environmental Defense

San Francisco, CA

Strongin

Seth

Office of State Assemblyman Pedro Nava and Office of Santa Barbara City Councilmember Das Williams

Santa Barbara, CA

Webb

Scott

Fundacion para la Sobrevivencia del Pueblo Cofan (FSC)

Quito, Ecuador



We extend our most sincere thanks to our Corporate Partners, who made these scholarships possible.

2007 Corporate Partners Intership Scholarships

2006 Corporate Partners Internship Scholarships

2005 Corporate Partners Internship Scholarships

2004 Corporate Partners Internship Scholarships

Rey Energy