Faculty Advisor
Jay graduated from Westminster College in Salt Lake City, Utah, in 2012 with a degree in Environmental Studies. He then worked for a year as a youth soccer coach in his hometown of Flagstaff, Arizona, before returning to Salt Lake City to work for two years as an engineering technician at Domain Surgical - a medical device startup company. At the Bren School, Jay is specializing in Energy and Climate with a focus in Strategic Environmental Communications and Media. He plans to use this Master’s education to pursue a career in the sustainability or energy management sectors. In his free time Jay enjoys playing soccer, reading, hiking, climbing, and backpacking.
Lillian graduated from Brown University with a degree in Geology-Biology in 2012. She then worked at the California Energy Commission managing energy technology research contracts under the Electric Program Investment Charge (EPIC). While there, Lillian oversaw the development of multiple environmentally related energy research solicitations and edited two annual reports to the legislature highlighting EPIC research accomplishments. At Bren, she is specializing in Energy and Climate with a focus in Strategic Environmental Communications and Media. After completing her Master’s, Lillian plans to pursue a career in energy policy with a focus on long-term clean energy strategy in California. Outside of Bren, Lillian teaches yoga at a local studio, Power of Your Om.
Rucha graduated in 2015 from the Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai where she earned her Bachelor of Technology in Surface Coating Technology. Rucha worked as an undergraduate research intern at Government of India's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, CPG major Reckitt Benckiser, (India) and Environmental Management Centre (EMC LLP), Mumbai. As a Master’s student at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management, Rucha studies energy and climate as they relate to life cycle assessment, environmental modelling for chemical fate and transport and recycling. Outside school, Rucha enjoys cooking, reading and travelling.
Natalie graduated from Purdue University in 2014 with a B.S. in Atmospheric Science. Before coming to Bren, she worked at NOAA’s National Geophysical Data Center and the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as an undergraduate research intern. She is now pursuing a Master of Environmental Science and Management with a specialization in Energy and Climate. During her studies, she is interning at the Santa Barbara County Air Pollution Control District, as well as San Diego’s Clean Cities Coalition. Natalie is excited to be working with Green Seal to quantify the GHG savings for the city of Los Angeles and is passionate about accelerating the transition to a more sustainable world. After completing her Master’s, she would like to pursue a career in renewable energy and climate change adaptation.
Kyle Meng is an assistant professor at UCSB's Bren School and Department of Economics. An environmental economist with training in engineering and atmospheric physics, he studies the impacts of climate change and the design of climate policy. Previously, Kyle worked for the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund on issues related to U.S. and international climate policy.
Jay McConagha
Natalie Vezina
Lillian Mirviss
Rucha Thakar
Kyle Meng
The Bren School of Environmental Science & Management is a graduate program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Its interdisciplinary approach prepares students for careers in a variety of environmental management sectors. The Master of Environmental Science and Management degree offers students seven specialization areas, and it requires students to complete a Master's Project. This project serves as a thesis for Master's students and it gives them the opportunity to gain real world experience working in a small group with an outside client for a year.
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Master's Project Researchers
OUR TEAM
Thank you to Yardi, our sponsor, for it's generous gift to make this project possible. Yardi is a leader in property management software solutions with offices around the world. This company believes in the value of supporting communities by donating time, energy, and financial support to worthwhile causes.
