Reflections from IDEASS Alumni

Many students over the years have participated in sustainability internships and programs at UCSC, such as the Impact Designs: Engineering & Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) program. They work on important, hands-on sustainability projects during their time here, and then they graduate and take those skills and experiences into the "real world." Kelsee Hurschman, Provost's Sustainability Intern for the Sustainability Minor & IDEASS, connected with two such alumni, Samuel Kahn and Brenden Fant, to find out what they're doing in their lives after college and how their experiences in the IDEASS program have helped them in their current endeavors.

Samuel Kahn

Attended UCSC 2010-2013

Q: What was your IDEASS project?
A: Our team as a whole worked on implementing different sensors at NASA Ames and on campus to do real-time monitoring of energy load and demand.

Q: What did you do?
A: I specifically worked at NASA Ames using machine learning algorithms (Artificial Neural Networks) to predict the load and demand of microgrids. The motivation for this is the intelligent, predictive, and real-time storage and distribution of energy; our inability to do this is one of the abating factors in the adoption of renewables.

Q:And what did you take away from being an IDEASS intern?
A: So so much. It really jump-started my career and got me into graduate school at UC Berkeley. It was an amazing experience working on a team with people with diverse backgrounds. These backgrounds varied from physics, environmental studies, chemistry, and earth sciences. This is how things are in the real world!

Q: How did participating in IDEASS prepare you for life after college?
A: It made me take the initiative to start a project without guidance and push through the difficult times. I have now helped found a start-up and I would say that IDEASS prepared me more for the fast-paced and challenging environment of startup life than any other class or research I did while at UCSC.

Q: What do you currently do and how did you get there? What qualities helped you earn that position?
A: I am currently a Data Scientist at a start-up in Santa Cruz in which I am a founding member. We are approaching a million dollars in funding and the skills I learned in IDEASS have definitely helped paved the way for us. From pitching ideas to solving technical problems with no clear solutions, I cannot be happier that I participated in IDEASS!

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to current students to prepare for the real world?
A: A couple pieces of advice: 1. A degree doesn't mean you'll get a good job, but showing you can succeed (and fail) at real-world type projects will. The same goes for graduate schools; the grad school market is saturated with applications of students who have a high GPAs, so you need to think about how you will differentiate yourself. 2. You will often have no help on projects or problems so you need to learn to be comfortable with no help. IDEASS is the best place to start. 3. The more technical prowess you have the better (statistics, programming, excel, etc...). These may sound scary, but just think of them as tools to propel your career. This is especially the case for people in the hard-sciences; Physics (myself), Chemistry, Biology, etc...

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?
A: IDEASS will make you busier and challenge you, but it will pay in ten-fold if you put in the work. 

Brenden Fant
Attended UCSC 2011-2013

Q: What did you do? And what did you take away from being an IDEASS intern?
A: During my time with IDEASS I was a member of the Bicycle Transit Planning Team. We conducted a study to identify specific improvements and corridors of concern for cycling safety on the Westside of Santa Cruz. We assessed the most utilized bicycle routes to and from UCSC and correlated the quality of the bicycle infrastructure and historical collision data.

Q: How did participating in IDEASS prepare you for life after college?
A: The IDEASS program gave me the opportunity to practice skills such as elevator pitches, public speaking, project management, team building as well as data analysis. My team and I presented our project to the City Council of Santa Cruz as well as the Regional Transportation Commission for the County of Santa Cruz and our report is still referenced today by Santa Cruz city planners.

Q: What do you currently do and how did you get there? What qualities helped you earn that position?
A: After graduating I applied for an entry level position as Tesla Motors as a Product Specialist. During my five interviews I was able to distinguish myself from the other candidates by expressing my passion to transform the transportation sector towards more sustainable modes. The goal of this position was to educate the public about the benefits of operating an electric vehicle when compared to an internal combustion engine. Since then I have transitioned to my current role of Technical Support Specialist.

Q: What is one piece of advice you would give to current students to prepare for the real world?
A: One lesson that I have learned during my time with Tesla Motors is that you never know who you are talking to and that you need to treat every person with a high level of respect. There has been numerous times that without realizing it I was assisting a customer that was a significant stakeholder. 

Q: Is there anything else you would like to share?
A: The IDEASS program is different from the ordinary classroom setting because each project engages a diverse set of stakeholders to work towards a common goal and improve the community as a whole.


Thank you, Samuel and Brenden, for taking the time to share about your experiences! If you're a student interested in getting involved in a program like IDEASS, please visit the IDEASS website or check out our list of other opportunities on our blog here.

UCSC Alumni Panel at Inter-Org Retreat

The Planning Committee for the 6th Annual UCSC Inter-Organizational Sustainability Retreat is in the midst of preparing for our 2016 retreat, which will take place Friday, January 8 - Sunday, January 10. We are currently seeking alumni who were active with campus sustainability, social justice, equity, and/or inclusion efforts as a student who have continued to do this kind of work in the "real world" beyond UCSC. We have space for five panelists to participate in a discussion about the opportunities, challenges, and experiences that they have faced in their chosen fields that might be interesting, helpful, or valuable to current students doing this kind of work at UCSC. This panel will take place Friday, January 8, between 5-8 PM on the UCSC campus.

If you are interested in being considered for the panel, please reply to sustain.education [at] ucsc [dot] edu by December 7 and include the following information:

• Graduation year
• What you were involved with as a student at UCSC (organizations, college affiliation, major of study, etc.)
• What you currently do (either professionally or as a volunteer)
• One story or experience you might share with students about your work after UCSC
• The Planning Committee will review all emails and notify those who have been selected by mid-December.

Alumni are also invited to attend the Friday night event, even if you are not selected for the panel. Please RSVP by December 7th to guarantee your spot.

We are also seeking alumni proposals for workshops to lead on Saturday, January 9th at Camp Campbell in Boulder Creek. There is limited space for alumni-led workshops, so please let us know soon if you are interested, and we can send you detailed information about workshop criteria.


What is Inter-Org Retreat?

This annual retreat brings together students, staff, and faculty from many campus sustainability organizations for a weekend of team building, skills sharing, collaboration, and fun. This year, we are hoping to reimagine what "sustainability" means to our campus, and the planning committee--made up of students and staff from a number of organizations--is working to bring topics like social justice, equity, and inclusion into the forefront of the retreat. Learn more on the website.

Alumni Sustainability Achievements

UCSC Alumni Photographers Focus on Environment for Exhibition
Beginning April 9th, Three Lives in Photography will be a new exhibition on campus at the Sesnon Gallery. Three UC Santa Cruz alumni, Robert Dawson, Joel Leivick, and David Pace, will present their work as artists, environmentalists, and educators at the show, which will run through May 10th. The opening reception will be on Wednesday, April 9, at 5 p.m., followed by an artists’ lecture at 7 p.m. The work in Three Lives in Photography--curated by Sesnon director Shelby Graham--uses traditional format photography to reveal the severe impact of industry on the contemporary landscape.

If you are interested in knowing more about the artists, check out this article.

UCSC alumnus Hoyt Peckham awarded Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation
UC Santa Cruz alumnus Hoyt Peckham has been awarded a 2014 Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation to expand on his work with coastal communities in Mexico to support sustainable fishing practices.

The Pew Fellows Program in Marine Conservation awards recipients $150,000 for a three-year project to address conservation challenges facing our oceans. Peckham developed SmartFish, a nonprofit social enterprise that enables small-scale fishermen to produce high quality, sustainably-caught seafood by using ocean-friendly practices, such as hand lines and other gear that reduce bycatch. Pew's award will allow him to expand this program, first developed in southern Baja California, throughout northwest Mexico and to determine its international feasibility.

Read on at this article.

CASFS Apprenticeship Alum Wins Land Steward Award

Many of us college students, at some point in our college career, ponder about post college life and where we will find ourselves ten years from now.  Here is some inspiration that is an example of a UCSC alumni's great successes in the field of agroecology!

Celia Barss is a 2002 graduate of the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food System’s Apprenticeship Program at UC Santa Cruz. She has recently become the proud recipient of the 2014 Land Steward Award. This award was presented by Georgia’s organic agriculture community, which held their 17th annual Organics Conference. The Land Steward Award honors an individual who has contributed greatly to the organic movement in Georgia both on the farm through environmentally friendly production, and off the farm through leadership, education, and outreach.  The awards ceremony brought more than 1,000 attendees to Jekyll Island to celebrate the coast and the myriad ways organic growers are essential to restoring natural resources in Georgia and beyond.

Celia Barss is currently the manager and grower at Woodland Gardens, a certified organic vegetable, fruit and cut-flower farm in Winterville, Ga., just east of Athens. She runs the farm with a focus on long-term sustainability, and is a leader in the field of small-scale agriculture.  We wish you a warm congratulations from the UCSC Sustainability Office Celia!

April 2014: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Provost's Sustainability Internship - $1500 Scholarship!

Are you interested in working to make our campus operations, infrastructure, and physical environment more sustainable? The Provost's Sustainability Internship (PSI) program is a great way to get involved! We pair students with staff mentors to plan and implement a year-long campus sustainability project. Students receive internship credit for the fall, winter, and spring quarters and a $1500 scholarship upon completion of the program in spring quarter. Student applications are due by 5pm on April 25th.

Generation Waking Up Leadership Training
GenUp is holding a leadership training in Santa Cruz April 25 - 27 that will bring together a diverse group of young people from around the region who are committed to transforming our world at the intersection of environmental sustainability, social justice, and human thriving. If you're interested in attending, apply here before the deadline of April 15th. For more information about lodging, scholarships, and other event details check out their website here.

IDEASS Internship Opportunity
Do you have an idea for a sustainability project at UCSC or in Santa Cruz? IDEASS is a green-tech service learning program at UCSC that is accepting early bird applications for next fall! If you're curious about getting invaluable hands-on experience with sustainability next year, please fill out our application here. IDEASS can fulfill senior exit credit for some majors- including ENVS. Many alumni have been offered jobs that relate to their projects upon completion of the program and graduation. Students that apply earlier have the opportunity to be a part of the planning process for projects next year. For more info, see this link.

Practicing Agroecology and Social Awareness - 2 unit internship
Wouldn't you love to spend this spring quarter outside of the classroom? CAN is hosting a 2-unit internship through the Environmental Studies Department called Cultivating a Daily Revolution. The internship is for up to 10 students and includes a weekly interactive lecture series and service learning project. Participants will have the opportunity to network with various community partners, meet new people, share weekly meals, and gain experience working on hands on projects in agroecology, indigenous Knowledge, community activism, and sustainable living. To sign-up send an email to focan [at] canunite [dot] org and visit the ENVS Internship Website to find out more information about how to get credit. The deadline to sign up for Spring Quarter is April 16th. Or if you cannot commit, anyone is welcome to attend the class.

PowerSave Spring Internships
Every quarter the PowerSave UCSC team looks to hire new four-credit interns! These interns will be given two units of credit through the ENVS Internship Office and will work closely with their project coordinator and the rest of the team to accomplish one (or more) energy-saving project(s) that will make a difference on our campus. Along with working on their projects, interns will also be able to represent the PowerSave team at the many awesome campus sustainability events that occur in Spring at UCSC. To apply, send your resume to the PowerSave Team at powersave [at] googlegroups [dot] com.

Common Ground Center Spring Internship
Interested in an Internship with Common Ground Center? We are currently looking for new 2-unit interns to help support the media team (newsletter, posters/flyers, and videography) for spring. Please fill out the application as soon as possible to be considered. Applications accepted until position filled. Apply here!

Naturalist Internship 2013-14
Create a rich and rewarding experience for sixth graders during their week of outdoor education. Foster a greater connection to nature for all students. Develop and teach hands-on science curriculum in a fun, engaging way. Sing, dance and laugh with students during evening activities. Play, learn and live with our community of dedicated and passionate naturalists and staff. If you would like to learn more about the program, send UCSC Alumni Darya Soofi, a current FHOS intern, an email at dsoofi74 [at] gmail [dot] com.

Volunteer for Sea Slugs!
Sea Slugs are a UCSC student-based organization built around environmental activism and community evolvement. We have ties with many local organizations including the Save the Waves Coalition and the Surfrider Foundation. All those interested in environmental stewardship can attend our April 10th meeting. For information about the April meeting, stewardship opportunities, or any other oceanic shenanigans, contact seaslug.ucsc [at] gmail [dot] com or visit our website.

Sierra Club's Search for Next Generation Leaders
Sierra Club is looking for the next generation of environmental leaders! Today, more young organizers than ever are running savvy campaigns and changing policies at the local, state and national level. This summer, hundreds will take part in our award-winning grassroots leadership training program to learn the skills they need to launch campaigns. These five week long trainings are run by, and for, young movement leaders. Does this sound like someone you know? Nominate a young leader to gain the skills and confidence they need to launch and win real campaigns for sustainability, climate, and justice.

$2 million Donation to UCSC Natural History Fieldwork

Many a times one can forget the beauty of simply walking outside your doorstep and instantly being immersed by lush green forest and mesmerizing wildlife. Kenneth S. Norris worked hard to ensure that we never forget this. Professor Norris founded the Natural History Field Quarter in 1973. The Field Quarter gives students a more hands on experience with the rich environment we are surrounded by.

A $2-million gift from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation will carry on the legacy of the late Kenneth S. Norris and continue to support The University of California, Santa Cruz as a leader in the field of Natural History. The gift provides funding for two endowments. The first endowment will staff the UC Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History Collections, which is to be renamed the Kenneth S. Norris Center for Natural History and the second will support the Natural History Field Quarter which Professor Norris originally founded over 40 years ago. The gift will also provide competitive grants for accomplished undergraduates in the field. 

For more information, check out this article!

UCSC Alumna Kirsten Williams on re-purposed community art in Detroit

UCSC alumna Kirsten Williams learned to see trash in the street in a whole new way this past fall through an internship with the Heidelberg Project in Detroit, Michigan. Kirsten is a former student employee of the Sustainability Office, and she graduated in 2013 with a degree in Sociology.

Kirsten shared with us how she heard about the Heildelberg Project and how the work she did with the organization relates to sustainability.

She writes, "When I was about six or seven my mother took me to a neighborhood [in Detroit] that was filled with the most outrageously decorated houses. Each house was painted in a bright color and all types of materials were used as adornments. I was fascinated by how something so different existed in a neighborhood that was so plain."

Kirsten later visited Detroit again after graduating from UC Santa Cruz, where her mother passed away only a couple weeks into her visit. She says that after her mother's passing, she was encouraged by her sister to look into the Heidelberg Project, the organization that creates these decorated homes. Kirsten did, and she ended up getting an internship with the organization's Site Development Team. Kirsten writes that the "team works on collecting materials to re-utilize them to create art pieces" and that her job "was to find used, old, and recycled materials that would be used for art installations for various events as well as our site designs."

"Since the city of Detroit is experiencing economic downfall and environmental abuse from neighboring cities such as dumping waste in public parks around the city, my goal was to collect these 'wasted' items and use them to create art pieces that would show the public that city is not infested with trash but beautiful artifacts to be used to create artwork that gets the public questioning the world around us. Why should an old house be destroyed? How can an old tire still have purpose? How can you turn plastic into beauty? The organization seeks not to lengthen the environmental impact but start creating change by reusing what so many leave behind. Sort of like giving purpose back to something everyone thinks is purposeless, including the city of Detroit itself," she describes.

When asked about how her experiences at UCSC have influenced her work, she writes, "UCSC was my enlightenment to the events, happenings, and order of our planet, sustainability being the first! It amazes me how far humankind has disassociated itself from the natural occurrences of this world. Especially when they are so important to our creation but more importantly our livelihood."

Regarding her Sociology degree from UC Santa Cruz, Kirsten writes, "I feel like UCSC is the BEST university to attend for this discipline because it's honestly one of the most forward thinking socially active campuses left in the nation. The major touches on multiple areas of concern and even has several courses dedicated specifically to sustainability and its social impact."

The exposure to environmental issues through Sociology classes helped Kirsten better understand "the seriousness of the issue," and she was able to bring that awareness to her work with the Heidelberg Project.

"My goal is not only to live a life that is more sustainable and environmentally aware of my behavior in a space but to also lead by example and teach others too. I also feel more connected to the planet, like I am taking care of a loved one."

In her work, Kirsten not only was able to care for the planet, but she was also able to "give something back to the community that helped nurture [her] growth."

"The work that the Heidelberg Project does is extremely crucial to the rebirth of the city of Detroit," she says. "I cannot express enough how my city needs love, tender care, and individuals who want to make an effective change. This will all start by focusing on several crucial pillars which will support the city and one being that of sustainable development. It is important to usher in a new generation of people equipped with the knowledge needed to give birth to the city again and in turn lead the world by example. Detroit has done it in the past and I know it will happen again."

February 2014 Sustainability Profile: Darlene Khalafi

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. This month features Darlene Khalafi, the newest member of the Sustainability Office Staff and a UCSC alumna who was involved in sustainability work as an undergraduate.

Name & Job Title: Darlene Khalafi - Sustainability Office Manager/Events Coordinator

Academic Background: Graduated from UCSC with a major in Environmental Studies combined with Biology, class of 2011

Previous Student Organizations: Stevenson Reslife (Residential Advisor); Path to a Greener Stevenson & Stevenson Garden; Student Environmental Center intern for Gardener's Alliance Gatherings (GAG); Climate Organization, Outreach, & Leadership (COOL); Site Stewardship Intern; and Seymour Center Volunteer

Photo by Adam Ghahate

We asked Darlene what she thinks about sustainability and how it relates to her work at UCSC.

What does "sustainability" mean to you? Sustainability is an interesting word because it means so much and it's so big that it's actually kind of difficult to grasp. It's an evolving definition; but the way I utilize the word today is to live my life in a way that takes action with respect toward natural systems, the environment, and all living beings. As someone who promotes sustainability, I am an advocate for life, fairness, and the well-being of things.

Favorite Green Tip: Always look for new ways to be resourceful. Being "green" is all about adaptability and getting creative! I love to repurpose things, so looking on my desk right now, I've reused a bread bag to hold my lunch, put my pencils in an old spaghetti jar, and have a notebook made from single-printed sheets and a cereal box cover.

What are you up to when you aren't at the Sustainability Office? Volunteering at the UCSC-USGS Sea Otter Research Cooperative, gardening at the Live Oak Grange, promoting alternative transportation with Ecology Action, or selling bread at farmer's markets for Beckmann's Old World Bakery

How does sustainability relate to your role at UCSC? What is one cool thing you've done to make UCSC a more sustainable place?
Sustainability was a big part of my undergraduate education. I incorporated it into all aspects of my life. As an RA, I helped start an accredited sustainable living co-curricular residential life program in Stevenson. While leading Path to a Greener Stevenson, I was one of the initial groundbreakers of the Stevenson Community Garden. I also held an internship every quarter with places like the Student Environmental Center, Site Stewardship, and the Seymour Discovery Center. I graduated an Environmental Studies/Biology major in 2011.

As a newly added member to the Sustainability Office staff, my job is to empower students and UCSC affiliates to lead their own projects promoting sustainable practices on our campus to make UCSC a brighter, greener place. I also want to help make sustainability "cultural" by doing my part to create a positive mindset founded in environmental awareness and the interconnectedness of all things.

This year, UCSC's Chancellor Blumenthal has implemented the Chancellor’s Sustainability Challenge to push the campus to reduce our waste, helping us in the long run to reach our Zero Waste by 2020 Goal. How do you practice sustainability and reduce waste in your own life? 
I try to throw away as little as possible. We compost and recycle at my house, so now we're at this point where we are trying to reduce what's ending up in our garbage bin. It's sad when I have to throw something away because there really is no other option for it. To solve this, I have to be more conscious of the types of packaging products come in and make sure that the products themselves are made to last and are repairable rather than made to be replaced.

Have you had a favorite sustainability moment at UCSC?
This year, my favorite 'sustainability moment' happened at the Inter-Organizational Retreat. Realizing how many people on campus are working everyday toward the same goals and aspirations, is definitely empowering. There are literally hundreds of us. I connected to a strong sense of community while watching everyone interact so closely with all these people they've never even met before. It's truly inspiring.

Contact: Find me at the Sustainability Office in Kerr 118, call me at 831-459-2182, or email dkhalafi [at] ucsc [dot] edu.