Each year the Environmental Studies Program acknowledges a number of students, alumni, and community members for their achievements. A list of the most current years winners is available below. Click on an individual award title below to view a description and list of recipients. You can also download your own copy of the ES Program's 2018 Commencement Reception and Awards Program here (.pdf).

ES Program Awards:

• Outstanding Senior of the Year (view)
• Outstanding Service by a Senior(s) (view)
• Outstanding Academic Achievement (view)
• Distinction in the Major (view)
• Outstanding ES Alumnus of the Year (view)
• Outstanding ES Senior Thesis Award (view)
• Community Service Award (view)
• Research Enhancement Award (view)
• Steven Manley Memorial Lecture (view)

ES Scholarship Winners:

• Charles Decker Memorial Scholarship (view)
• Barker Scholarship (view)
• Tom Rogers Scholarship (view)
• McGinnes Environmental Law & Advocacy Scholarship (view)

2018 ES Program Awards

• Download the ES Program's 2018 Commencement Reception and Award Ceremony Program here (.pdf)

2018 Outstanding Senior(s) of the Year (view past recipients)

This Program award is given to one (possibly two or three) students who have accomplished excellence within the Environmental Studies Major and the University. In addition to obtaining an outstanding overall Grade Point Average (GPA), a student worthy of this distinction must have also demonstrated a high level of extra curricular service, both within the University and the community.

2018 Outstanding Service by ES Seniors (view past recipients)
This award is given to ES students who have demonstrated exemplary environmental service within the Environmental Studies Program, the University community, and/or the community at large. Winners must have demonstrated a continued service to project(s), issues, or organizations related to environmental causes.

2017 Outstanding Academic Achievement
Award is given in recognition of those 2017 graduating seniors who have an outstanding overall minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5. To view the list of recipients recognized for this year's Outstanding Academic Achievement download the ES Program's 2017 Commencement Reception and Awards Program here (.pdf).
 

2017 Distinction in the Major  
Awarded to graduating seniors who have an outstanding minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 and have completed a Senior Honors Thesis of exceptional quality. This distinction is recognized on their official UCSB diploma and transcript.

Joelle H. Alley
Linn B. Bumpers
Rosie C. Fatta
Olivia Johnson
Sarika Kathuria
Victoria M. Mansfield
Madison D. Montague
Charlotte N. Sedlock
Nolan T. Stephens
Heather E. Weiss
 

2017 ES Program's Community Service Award (view past recipients)

2017 ES Program's Outstanding Alumnus of the Year (view past recipients)

Richard ("Rick") W. Halsey, Class of 1978, is an educator, photographer, writer, and the director of the California Chaparral Institute, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, research, and educational organization dedicated to the preservation of native shrubland habitats throughout the world, and supporting the creative spirit as inspired by the natural environment. Rick is a graduate from the Environmental Studies class of 1978 with a double major in Anthropology.

After earning his Bachelor of Arts Degree, Rick obtained a teaching credential in life and physical sciences from UC Berkeley, and a master’s degree in education from Cal State University, San Diego. He taught high school science for over twenty years in both public and private schools. He was honored as the Teacher of the Year for San Diego City Schools in 1991. He also received a prestigious U.S. Dept of Education Christa Mcauliffe Fellowship for innovation in education in 1994, which funded him to take a year off from teaching during which he wrote a book entitled, Fire, Chaparral and Survival in Southern California. Shortly thereafter he left traditional education to devote full time to the preservation of and appreciation for the chaparral environment, California's most extensive native plant community. He teaches natural history throughout the state including a unique Chaparral Naturalist Certification Program. This program brings educators to the chaparral to experience its sights, sounds, and smells first hand.

Rick Halsey an engaging and sought after speaker who has delivered more than 400 educational presentations about the chaparral ecosystem and wildfire over the past ten years.  He also works as a consultant on wildfire issues including doing pro-bono work with county and community organizations throughout Southern California devising wildfire protection plans.  Mr. Halsey also works with the San Diego Museum of Natural History, provides living history presentations as Grizzly Adams, and partners with excellent attorneys to provide a voice for the chaparral when gentle persuasion is not enough.

Established in Memory of Steven Manley (1958 - 1979).  While working for his second summer as a firefighter with the California Division of Forestry, Steve Manley and three other firefighters lost their lives on August 15, 1979, battling a brush wildfire near Santa Maria. He was a 21-year old Environmental Studies Major in his third year at UCSB at the time. Steve Manley was an active proponent of the protection, conservation and planned use of the environmental landscape. It was his field of study and way of life. His summer firefighting job was directly related to his desire to learn by doing in the protection of the land. He had a lifelong interest in the outdoors, the sea and physical activity. This lecture series is a celebration of his life. 

2017 Featured Speaker: Dr. Charles Lester, Speaker, Lecturer, and former Director of the California Coastal Commission.

2017 ES Scholarship Winners

2017 Charles Decker Memorial Scholarship (view past recipients)

The Matthew Charles Decker Scholarship was established in the loving memory of Matthew Charles Decker, an Environmental Studies undergraduate major at UCSB, who suffered a fatal skiing accident in March of 1995 during his junior year at UCSB. Matthew was an honors scholar whose love and commitment to the environment was an inspiration to all who knew him. He completed a wildlife study program in the Fall of 1994 during which he interacted with wolves, bears and the astonishing beauty of nature. This educational experience left him in awe of our Mother Earth and instilled in him a resounding commitment to work on behalf of the environment.

Amy Tam
 

2017 Tom Rogers Scholarship (view past recipients)

The Tom Rogers Scholarship (Fund) at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), was established in late 1999 to honor Tom Rogers, a role model for civic and environmental leadership. Among the many achievements of Tom Rogers are his service on the Santa Barbara City Council and County Board of Supervisors up through 1994. As a civil servant, he voiced and voted for sound environmental planning and progressive policies for long-term community benefits. The Fund provides for annual scholarship(s) to be awarded to one or several students who are majors in the Environmental Studies Program at UCSB. Selection of scholarship recipients is based on their personal efforts that embody the ideals of civic responsibility and environmental stewardship exemplified by Tom Rogers in his career.

Elizabeth Szulc
 

2017 Coeta Barker Scholarship (view past recipients)
Made possible by the generosity of the Coeta and Donald Barker Foundation.  The Environmental Studies Program awards Barker Scholarships annually to assist students who enroll in unpaid Environmental Studies Program Internships. The purpose of this scholarship is to lessen the financial burden on students so that they may pursue an unpaid internship and gain valuable hands-on learning experience in the environmental field of their choice.

Heather Weiss
 

2017 McGinnes Environmental Law & Advocacy Scholarship (view past recipients)
Established in the name of retired ES faculty member, Marc McGinnes, in recognition of his decades of service to the Environmental Studies Program, UCSB, and the community in the fields of environmental advocacy, protection, law and leadership.  The award recognizes a graduating senior with outstanding academic achievement and has a demonstrated passion and aptitude for environmental law and advocacy.

Rosie Fatta

Past ES Program Award Winners
                                                                                           

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Past ES Scholarship Winners