#16 Nov. 126th, 2025
Eric Zimmerman
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IMPORTANT DATES AND DEADLINES:
12/1/25 Winter Quarter Class Scheduling Pass #3 opens
12/5/25 Fall quarter
deadline to change Grading Option or
submit a Withdrawal form for a Fall class
Click here to see UCSB’s 2025-26 Registration Pass Times.
To view UCSB’s Quarterly Deadlines click here
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REMINDER:
The ES Advising team and ES Main Office staff will be closed for
the Thanksgiving holiday break. We will not be answering emails
until we return on Monday, Dec. 1.
HAVE A GREAT & SAFE HOLIDAY BREAK!
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INDEX:
1) UCSB Environmental Career
Panel, Tuesday Dec 2, 5:00pm @ MSI Auditorium
hosted by UCSB’s Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
2) UCSB
GRAD SCHOOL WORKSHOP: From Gaucho to Grad Student:
Informational Panel & Application Workshop, a panel
discussion where
current grads share what they wish they’d known, followed by
mini-workshops.
- Thursday, 12/4 at 5:00 pm in Bren 1414.
3) MONDAY
SEMINAR: “Climbing the
Energy Ladder: How Energy
Resources Hinder, Facilitate, and Fuel Economic Growth“ with
Dr. Derek Lemoine,
Professor of Economics, U of Arizona. Monday, Dec 1, 2025,
11am-12pm, Bren Hall 1414
4) Winter
Internship Opportunity: Science Outreach Internship with UCSB’s
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
5) UCSC Summer Global Seminar: Agroecology Practicum in Guatemala
6) WRFI
is looking to fill a few spots in our spring semester course,
Colorado Plateau.
We are offering numerous tuition discounts and generous scholarships,
including awards up to $5,000!
7) SIT Study Abroad is enrolling summer and fall 2026 programs!
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CONTENT:
1) UCSB Environmental Career
Panel, Tuesday Dec 2, 5:00pm @ MSI Auditorium hosted by UCSB’s
Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory
We will be hosting an environmental career panel featuring an
exciting group of professionals, each of whom focuses on a very
different environmentally-focused role & responsibilities.
About the Talk: Moderated by Associate Professor and Director of the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory, Douglas McCauley, the conversation will explore how each respective panelist got their start and will aim to give you a behind-the-scenes peek of what a day in the life entails. Plus, they'll offer advice for those interested in exploring or seeking careers with an environmental focus.
The Panelists:
Barkley Dean, VP, Executive Experiences, Salesforce
Becca Tucker, Director of Corporate Engagement, Blue Whales Blue Skies
Adam Ernster, Wildlife Photographer & Captain
Nic Elmquist, Wildland Fire Specialist, Montecito Fire Department
We invite you to have a scan of our panelists (above) ahead of time, and look forward to audience questions to help drive the conversation.
This event is open to undergraduates,
graduate/postdocs, faculty, and other interested members of the
campus community.
See attached Flier for more info!
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2) UCSB GRAD SCHOOL
WORKSHOP: From Gaucho to Grad Student: Informational Panel &
Application Workshop, a panel discussion where current grads share
what they wish they’d known, followed by small-group
mini-workshops.
- Thursday, 12/4 at 5:00 pm in Bren 1414.
Please register and submit your panel questions at this link. Walk-ins are welcome too! Have questions? Email Nicole at nas...@ucsb.edu.
Hope to see you there,
From Gaucho to Grad Student Team (MacDonald
Lab, UCSB)
See attached Flier!
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3) MONDAY SEMINAR: “Climbing the Energy Ladder:
How Energy Resources Hinder, Facilitate, and Fuel Economic Growth“
with Dr. Derek Lemoine, Professor of Economics, University of
Arizona. Monday, Dec 1, 2025, 11am-12pm in Bren Hall 1414
I show that the nature of the energy resources
available to an economy qualitatively determines long-run growth
outcomes. A harvested resource such as biomass drags on growth, a
mined resource such as coal enables output per capita to hold
constant, and both a tapped resource such as oil and a
manufactured resource such as solar panels risk degrowth if energy
return on energy invested (EROI) cannot stay above a threshold.
The only energy resource that can fuel long-run growth is a
manufactured resource such as solar panels. Either that resource
must rely on substitutable energy inputs that have a sufficiently
large EROI, or it must be produced by robots that are themselves
produced from robots and energy. Even in these cases, coal and oil
economies may have been necessary stages on the way from a biomass
economy to a solar economy.
Click
here for the full seminar announcement and bio.
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4) Winter Internship
Opportunity: Science Outreach Internship with UCSB’s Benioff Ocean
Science Laboratory
The Science Outreach Intern at the Benioff Ocean Science Laboratory will have the unique opportunity to support outreach programs targeted towards UC undergraduates and local youth focusing on environmental science, field research, and conservation. The intern will work closely with Benioff Lab researchers and administrative staff to conduct critical tasks for outreach programs, such as communicating with program participants and host facilities, coordinating program logistics, and acquiring and preparing materials. This internship is ideal for undergraduate students interested in gaining experience running science outreach programs, working in a collaborative, small team environment under the mentorship of Benioff Lab researchers and administrators.
I invite you to view the full internship description which includes instructions on how to apply, and to share it with any students that might be a good fit. Applications are due via email to bosl-c...@ucsb.edu by December 2nd.
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5) UCSC Summer Global
Seminar: Agroecology Practicum in Guatemala
Earn 6 units on a summer program on the Global Seminar Agroecology Practicum in
Guatemala this summer. This program is taught by Damian
Parr, Instructor of Environmental Studies and Education Programs
Manager for the Agroecology Center.
Quick Facts:
Location: Antigua, Guatemala; Lake Atitlán, Guatemala
Course: ENVS 133 B: Agroecology Practicum (6 units)
Led by: Damian Parr
Eligibility: Good academic and disciplinary standing, Min Age: 18, 45 units completed at time of departure, Minimum GPA 2.3 cumulative GPA or higher at the time of application and every quarter prior to departure, Eligible majors: Agroecology, ENVS, additional majors by permission of the instructor.
Dates: Summer Session 1 (Exact dates to be announced)
Finances: Financial aid applies, and scholarships are available! Budget will be posted on the website when it is available.
How to apply: Visit here for instructions. Applications open on December 1, 2025 and close on March 2, 2026.
Get in touch: Email your questions to globall...@ucsc.edu.
Program Description:
This program will explore the historical and contemporary strengths and challenges to Guatemala’s food and agricultural system through the lens of Agroecology and indigenous-led agricultural development work. Examples of learning objective topics include developing students’ competencies in biological soil fertility and pest management, tillage and cultivation, crop care, and analysis of diversified farming systems. The course frames these more technical production competencies within learning objectives related to agriculture literacies, analyzing broader societal aspects of food sovereignty, and the development of equitable and ecologically sustainable food systems. By broadening student perspectives and understandings of our diverse global community, students will strengthen their ability to think critically about solutions. Studying and working in an unfamiliar place will support students gaining a clearer sense of who they are as learners, so that they leave the program empowered to tackle the challenges – both academic and nonacademic – that inevitably lie ahead.
Check out this student-produced video from a previous program!
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6) WRFI is looking to fill
a few more spots in our spring semester course, Colorado Plateau.
We are offering numerous tuition discounts and generous scholarships, including awards up to $5,000!
Ready to take your education outside and dive into landscapes that
will change the way you see the world? The Wild Rockies Field
Institute (WRFI) offers academic field programs that let
undergraduate students earn upper-division credit while
backpacking, biking, hiking, and kayaking across some of the most
spectacular regions of the Rocky Mountain West. Our
courses—accredited through the University of Montana—blend
place-based academics, cultural immersion, small
discussion-oriented classes, and hands-on ecological studies.
Throughout each program, students form meaningful connections with
local community members, learn directly from the landscapes they
travel through, and spend their nights sleeping under the stars.
Spotlight on the Colorado
Plateau: Desert Canyons & Cultures:
If you’re looking for a course that’s equal parts adventure,
academic depth, and unforgettable scenery, the Colorado Plateau is
for you. This program takes you into the heart of red rock country
of Utah and Arizona—where sculpted canyons, sweeping plateaus, and
ancient river systems become your classroom. Over eleven weeks
weeks, you’ll explore how geology, ecology, culture, and politics
intersect in the desert Southwest. Expect to meet with Indigenous
leaders, land managers, and local advocates; conduct field-based
ecological investigations; and follow canyon systems on foot as
you study the forces that shape them. You’ll gain confidence
traveling in remote backcountry terrain, develop nuanced
perspectives on the region’s environmental challenges, and walk
away with a deeper understanding of—and connection to—one of North
America’s most iconic landscapes.
WRFI also offers numerous tuition discounts and generous scholarships, including awards up to $5,000!
If you're thinking about joining us for this course or any other course in our 2026 field season, you can start your application here. Questions? Reach out to WRFI’s Student Experience Manager, Kelsey Wellington, at kelsey.w...@wrfi.net.
Apply by November 30th and receive a free pair
of WRFI merino wool socks!
See attached flier!
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7) SIT Study Abroad is
enrolling summer and fall 2026 programs!
SIT Study Abroad programs are developed around a framework of the most critical global issues (CGIs) of the day. Our programs are interdisciplinary and appropriate for a variety of majors. Most programs address two CGIs within specific cultural and geographical contexts or comparatively across several countries and continents.
Summer 2026 programs – Click
here for more info
- Jordan: Counseling & Humanitarian Action Internship
- Iceland: Renewable Energy, Technology & Resource Economics (Summer 1)
- Panama: Marine Ecology & Blue Carbon Conservation in the Pacific & Caribbean
- Switzerland: Social Impact Internship
- South Africa: Diplomacy, Politics, and International Relations Internship
Fall 2026 programs – Click
here for more info
- IHP Death & Dying
- Nepal: Development, Gender, and Social Change in the Himalaya
- IHP Europe: Contemporary Politics
- Vietnam: Culture, Social Change, and Development
- Netherlands: Choose Your Track—Health, Sustainability, Migration OR Culture
April 1, 2026: Application deadline for most
summer 2026 programs. Apply today.
May 15, 2026: Application deadline for most fall 2026 programs. Apply today.
For more info about SIT check out our website here!
-- Eric D. Zimmerman (he/him) Student Services Manager, Lecturer Environmental Studies, UC Santa Barbara To schedule a Zoom advising appointment visit: https://tinyurl.com/8nrcckds "Work Hard ~ Play Harder!"
