Welcome to the 2021 UCSB Environmental Studies Commencement and Awards Ceremony! I am proud and honored to serve as the Environmental Studies Program Chair. The class of 2021 is a phenomenal group of leaders and scholars, and they comprise one the largest graduating class in our department’s history!
Our students lead and inspire us in so many ways. They do this in our classrooms, in our research labs, and through student and community organizations whose goals reflect the urgency, determination, vision, and courage that this historic moment requires of us. I always say that I learn far more from my students than I could ever teach them, and this year has been no exception to that iron law of education.
I want to recognize that this particular graduating class experienced more than your fair share of challenges and anxiety-inducing events, including drought and wild fires, debris flows, a global pandemic, online/remote learning, and massive civil unrest in response to police violence. And yet, somehow we made it here today and have come together as a community to support one another. That is the essence of what we do at this great public university—building and strengthening spaces for learning, exploration, and support.
Environmental Studies is and always will be a community where people are gathering—whether in person or online—working together, continuously exchanging ideas, and practicing extraordinary creativity to devise and implement real and workable solutions to the environmental and social challenges we face today so that our future will be greener, healthier, more equitable and just. And our students are the driving force behind this good work, so I congratulate the graduating class of 2021!
