Environmental Science MS
Environmental Science MS News
ENSCI Student Defends Thesis on Pesticide Remediating Microbes
Kieran Szelong defended their thesis research "The genomics of pesticide-remediating microbes relevant to agricultural specialty crops grown on California's Central Coast" in front of their committee and a public audience on Wednesday, May 10, 2023.
ENSCI Student Defends Thesis on Relationships Between Apex Predators, Mesopredators, and Songbirds Along a Local Urbanization Gradient
Matt McGee recently defended his thesis research “Mesopredator occupancy and passerine richness along an urbanization gradient in central coastal California” in front of his committee and a public audience on Wednesday, May 3, 2023.
ENSCI Alumni Founds His Own Company
Danny Wright, an alumnus of the Coastal and Watershed Policy graduate program (now known as the Environmental Science Master’s program), was recently featured for his founding his own non-profit company,
ENSCI Student Places at Grad Slam
CSUMB recently hosted its second annual Grad Slam - a campus-wide competition for the best short oral research presentation by a graduate student. The Environmental Science master's program (ENSCI) was well represented by several graduate students during this competition. Most notably, one ENSCI graduate student was chosen as the winning recipient at the end of the competition.
Highlight Stories ENSCI Students Present Research at American Fisheries Society Meeting
Michael Biedebach and Caleb Yakel, two current Environmental Science Master's students, recently attended the California-Nevada American Fisheries Society Conference in Long Beach, California.
ENSCI Student Conducts Research for the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy
Erika Garig, a current Environmental Science Master’s student, recently completed an internship with the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy as part of her Professional Science Master’s project. Erika was tasked with developing a 400-hour internship that helped employ the skills she gained in the classroom. We recently touched base with Erika to learn more about her internship.
ENSCI Student Conducts Camera Trap Research for Big Sur Land Trust
Michael Biedebach, a current Environmental Science Master’s student, recently completed an internship with Big Sur Land Trust as part of his Professional Science Master’s project. Michael was tasked with developing a 400-hour internship that helped employ the skills he gained in the classroom. We recently touched base with Michael to learn more about his internship.
AES Professor Reflects on His Careers at CSUMB
Dr. Fred Watson, Professor in the Department of Applied Environmental Science, has been a valued part of the CSUMB Community since 1998. He’s been an advisor to many graduate and undergraduate students and runs the Watson Lab.
We recently touched base with Fred to learn more about his extensive career and what led him to CSUMB.
ENSCI Student Defends Thesis on Understanding Salmonid eDNA Fate at Reach Level
Shawn Melendy defended his thesis research “Understanding Salmonid eDNA Fate at Reach Level” in front of his committee on Thursday, December 8, 2022. We reached out to Shawn to learn more about his thesis research and overall experience as an Environmental Science graduate student.
ENSCI Student Defends Thesis on Estimating Natural Background Water Quality in California Rivers
Emma Debasitis recently defended her thesis research “Estimating Natural Background Water Quality in California Rivers” in front of her committee on Monday, December 5, 2022.
We reached out to Emma following her successful defense to learn more about her thesis research and overall experience as an Environmental Science graduate student.
ENSCI Student Defends Thesis on Comparative Metagenomics Study on Bioreactor System in Salinas/Salinas River Valley and the Tijuana River Valley
Connie Machuca recently defended her thesis research “A Comparative Metagenomics Study on Bioreactor System in Salinas, CA, The Salinas River Valley, and The Tijuana River Valley” in front of her committee on Wednesday, November 16, 2022.
We reached out to Connie following her successful defense to learn more about her thesis research and overall experience as an Environmental Science graduate student.
ENSCI Student Defends Thesis on DNA Barcoding for Diet and Intestinal Microbiota of Juvenile Rainbow Trout/Steelhead on the California Coast
Bryan Van Orman recently defended his thesis research “DNA Barcoding for Diet and Intestinal Microbiota of Juvenile Rainbow Trout/Steelhead on the California Coast” in front of his committee on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.
ENSCI Student Presents Research at Western Society of Naturalists Meeting Mason Donny, a current Environmental Science master’s student, recently presented their research at the Western Society of Naturalists Conference on November 11. Mason's presentation was entitled "Use of Automatic Classification Image to Determine Historical trends of Mussel Bed Percent Cover on Bird Rock, SCI, CA."
ENSCI Student Conducts Research for Burleson Consulting Jessica Sutton, a current Environmental Science master’s student, recently completed an internship with Burleson Consulting as part of her Professional Science Master’s (PSM) project. Jess was tasked with developing a 400-hour internship that helped employ the skills she gained in the classroom. We recently touched base with Jess to learn more about her internship.
Dr. Jimmy Guilinger joins Department of Applied Environmental Science as new Assistant Professor Dr. Jimmy Guilinger joined the CSUMB Community this year. We recently touched base with Jimmy to learn more about his research and what he looks forward to doing during his time here at CSUMB.
AES Alumni Participates in 2022 William R. Gianelli Water Leaders Class Kaitlyn Chow, an alumnus of both the Environmental Science, Technology, and Policy program (ESTP) and the Applied Marine Science and Watershed Science Masters program (AMWS, now known as ENSCI), participated in the 2022 Water Leaders team. The 2022 cohort includes engineers, lawyers, resource specialists, and scientists from throughout the state.
CSUMB awarded $1.54 million grant to help diversify the field of genomics CSUMB was recently awarded $1.54 million in funding to partner, develop and implement a mentorship program with UC Santa Cruz. Dr. Nathaniel Jue is one of the principal investigators of the project.
JP Dundore-Arias named Bob and Sue Johnson Professor Jose Pablo Dundore-Arias, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Chemistry, has been named CSUMB’s next Bob and Sue Johnson Professor.
ENSCI Students Attend Summer Conferences
Over the summer, Environmental Science M.S. (ENSCI) thesis students from the Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Lab engaged in sharing their research at national and international conferences.
Congratulations Spring & Summer 2022 ENSCI Graduates!
Congratulations to our Spring & Summer 2022 Environmental Science M.S. graduates! We look forward to seeing where your new skills take you.
ENSCI Student Serves as Research Assistant with the Central Coast Wetlands Group
Aubrie Heckel recently completed her Professional Science Master's internship with the Central Coast Wetlands Group (CCWG). While serving as a Research Assistant, Aubrie had the opportunity to expand on the skills she has gained in the classroom as an Environmental Science graduate student.
ENSCI Student Defends Thesis on Genomics of Pesticide-Remediating Bacteria
Rahil Ryder recently defended her thesis research titled '"Genomics of Pesticide-Remediating Bacteria" in front of her thesis committee and a general audience on Tuesday, May 10, 2022.
ENSCI Student Serves as Lead Researcher alongside Dr. Alison Haupt
Brooke Fulkerson recently completed her Professional Science Master's (PSM) internship in the Coastal Ecology Lab alongside Dr. Alison Haupt. As an intern, she served as a lead researcher on a coastal urbanization and kelp biomass research project.
ENSCI Student Tackles Climate Action Planning as a PSM Intern
Kierra Rambonga recently completed her Professional Science Master's (PSM) internship with LandWatch Monterey County. While serving as a Climate Action Intern, Kierra assisted the County in conducting essential research towards the development of their Climate Action Plan.
ENSCI Students Place at CSUMB Grad Slam
CSUMB recently hosted is first annual Grad Slam - a campus-wide competition for the best short oral research presentation by a graduate student. The Environmental Science master's program (ENSCI) was well represented by several graduate students during this competition. Most notably, two ENSCI graduate students were chosen as winning recipients at the end of the competition.
Provost’s Award Recognizes Breadth and Depth of Student Achievement
When Matthew McGee entered CSUMB as an M.S. student, all he knew was that he wanted to study wildlife. Completing his undergraduate studies at University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, he admits he had “two degrees, and a poor GPA,” and didn’t find his footing within academica and the sciences until he came to CSUMB.
ENSCI Student Participates in Professional Project With Santa Clara County
Adrian Gonzalez, a current Environmental Science master's student, recently completed an internship with Santa Clara County Department of Agriculture as part of his Professional Science Master's (PSM) project. As a PSM student, Adrian was tasked with developing a rigorous 400 hour internship alongside his internship supervisor that helped employ the skills he has gained in the classroom.
ENSCI Graduate Student Conducts Thesis Research on Soil Microbes
Connie Machuca, a current graduate student in the Environmental Science master's program (ENSCI), has been working on her thesis project over the past year. As a thesis student in Dr. Nathaniel Jue's lab, Connie is focusing her research on soil microbes found in a bioreactor system in Salinas, CA.
Associate Professor Engages Students in Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology Research
Dr. Jennifer Duggan, Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Environmental Science, has been actively engaging students in research through her Terrestrial Wildlife Ecology lab. In addition to lab experiences, Jenny also dedicates her Sunday afternoons towards informally advising students on Step & Prep walks throughout Fort Ord.
ENSCI Graduate Student Collaborates with California State Parks
Michelle Tarian, a graduate student in the Environmental Science master's program, is currently immersed in a professional internship with California State Parks. As a Professional Science Master's (PSM) student, Michelle is tasked with securing and completing a rigorous 400-hour graduate internship as part of her degree requirement.
Graduate Student Uses Camera Traps to Collect Data on Carnivore Species in the Salinas Valley
As a thesis student, Matt uses camera traps to collect data on select carnivore species (coyotes, bobcats, gray foxes, and domestic cats) along an urbanization gradient in the Salinas Valley.
Graduate Student Selected as American Phytopathological Society Representative on Master Plant Science Team
Karla Jasso, a current Environmental Science graduate student, was recently selected to be part of this year's Master Plant Science Team representing the American Phytopathological Society.
Assistant Professor Leads Summer Research Projects Across Western United States
This past summer, eight undergraduates and one graduate student dispersed across the Western United States to conduct research alongside Dr. John Olson as part of the Watershed Environments & Ecology Lab (WEE).
ENSCI Graduate Received CSUMB President's Graduate Award for Exemplary Regional Stewardship
Mikaela Bogdan, a recent graduate of the Environmental Science master's program, was awarded the President's Graduate Award for Exemplary Regional Stewardship in Spring 2021.
Graduate Student Conducts Bat Research for Thesis Dissertation
Bethany Schulze, a graduate student in the Department of Applied Environmental Science, is currently conducting bat research as part of her thesis dissertation. We recently touched base with Bethany to learn more about her unique research experience. Check out her interview below for more insight into the world of bat research.
ENSCI Faculty Elected to AGU Board of Directors
Dr. Corey Garza, Professor in the Department of Marine Science, was recently elected to the American Geophysical Union (AGU) Board of Directors. AGU aims to advance discovery and solution science that accelerate knowledge and create solutions that are ethical, unbiased and respectful of communities and their values.
ENSCI Graduate Student Develops 3D Models of Maritime Heritage Sites
Ryan Solymar, a current graduate student in the Environmental Science (ENSCI) master's program, has been interning with the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) and CSUMB's Ecosystems Electronics Lab (EEL) as part of his Professional Science Master's (PSM) project. As a 3D photogrammetry intern, he has spent the past year developing three-dimensional models of maritime heritage sites throughout MBNMS.
ENSCI Graduate Students Assist with Wildfire Response
Environmental Science graduate students, Eric Walmsley and Ryan Brown, have been allocating their time towards completing their Professional Science Master's (PSM) internships with local agencies. In doing so, both had the unique opportunity to assist with wildfire response in our region during California's record-breaking wildfire season.
A Society of Scientists: Corey Garza (ENSCI faculty) inducted into California Academy of Sciences.
Corey Garza, Ph.D., professor of marine science in CSUMB’s College of Science, was recently inducted as a 2020 fellow in the California Academy of Sciences. He joins a cohort of 13 other scientists from California and beyond as new members.