Department of Applied Environmental Science
Department Highlights | May 7, 2021 | Issue 3
About the Highlights
The Department of Applied Environmental Science (AES) is home to 3 degree programs: Environmental Studies B.A. (ENSTU), Environmental Science, Technology and Policy B.S. (ESTP), and Environmental Science M.S. (ENSCI). In an effort to stay connected in a virtual world, we hope to utilize this bi-semester highlights email to keep all AES students, staff, and faculty informed of current AES highlights, news, & events. If you need to get in touch with the AES office, please feel free to email us at aes_office@csumb.edu.
Congratulations to our 2021 Graduates!

Congratulations to all of the AES Spring & Summer 2021 graduates! In total, 72 students will be embarking on a new adventure following graduation! Below is a breakdown of our graduates.

  • Environmental Studies: 44 graduates
  • Environmental Science, Technology & Policy: 16 graduates
  • Environmental Science: 12 graduates

We always love to hear from our alumni. Please keep in touch with us at aes_office@csumb.edu!
The Department of Applied Environmental Science wants to celebrate our soon-to-be graduates and Capstone students in a unique way at the upcoming Virtual Capstone Festival! We plan on sharing a slideshow throughout the festival with images and remarks from students (graduates and Capstone). 

If you are interested in sharing an image or remark for this celebration, please submit your image via the form below.
Faculty Highlight

Dr. Hester Parker, AES faculty, is dedicated to serving our local community. She currently serves as the President on Everyone's Harvest Board of Directors where she aims to help others implement their own ways to promote positive and equitable economic, social, and environmental relationships, whether through involvement in certified farmers’ markets and community gardens or by other means. Dr. Parker also worked extensively alongside three collaborators on an effort to protect farmworkers throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Together these collaborators formed the Monterey County Coalition of Agriculture or MC-COA. Thank you for all that you do for our local community, Hester!
Campus Resource
Science Internship Program

Looking for a way to expand on your educational experiences this summer? Pursue an internship or job opportunity in the sciences! The Science Internship Program is your one-stop spot for science opportunities in the following categories:

  • Internships
  • Jobs (part-time & full-time)
  • Volunteer positions
  • Research experiences

You can also earn academic credit for participating in an internship! Check out the internship courses web page for more details.
Undergraduate Student Highlight
Brittany Elsman, ENSTU

Brittany Elsman, a current ENSTU student, was recently awarded the 2021 CSUMB Alumni Vision Award. Brittany embodies CSUMB's vision and principles through her commitment to educational equity, outreach to historically underrepresented schools and children, and promotion of social inclusion and justice. Throughout the pandemic, Brittany has been active in promoting the importance of outdoor learning spaces for greater educational access and equity in the face of COVID-19 restrictions.

Brittany has spent the past few years serving on the CSUMB Environmental Affairs Committee (EAC), immersing herself in environmental stewardship projects with the Surfrider Foundation and Return of the Natives, and educating students locally and internationally. Her undergraduate experiences have helped shape her as a professional by encouraging her to engage with the community in collaborative projects that have advocated for environmental awareness while providing her with a chance to explore career opportunities.

As an environmental studies student, her aspiration in life is to give back to the environment and her surrounding community in any way she can.

Keep up the incredible work, Brittany!
Graduate Student Highlight
Andrew Caudillo, ENSCI

Andrew Caudillo, current Environmental Science graduate student and ESTP alumnus, recently defended his thesis titled "Development of Predictive Bioassessment Indices of Non-perennial Streams and Rivers in the Arid Southwestern United States." Through his thesis research, Andrew and his colleagues developed an index of taxonomic completeness (Observed to Expected Index [O/E]) for dry streams since there currently is no widely accepted methodology to assess their ecological health. Channel arthropods produced the best performing O/E indices because they respond to stress in a predictable way.

Andrew has always enjoyed studying arthropods and when he learned about O/E indices he wanted to explore them more. Currently, he is working at the National Aquatic Monitoring Center, which regularly applies state-wide O/E indices to sites submitted by the Bureau of Land Management. He plans on continuing to hone his skills of O/E development and partake in generating the taxonomic data involved in O/E index development.

Congratulations on a successful thesis defense, Andrew!
Alumni Highlight
Eric Walmsley, ENSTU

Eric Walmsley, a 2016 alumnus of the Environmental Studies program, is preparing to complete his master's degree in Environmental Science in May. As a CSUMB graduate student, Eric interned with CAL Fire to support all forms of GIS for both Monterey and San Benito Counties.

Following completion of his internship, Eric was offered a full-time position with CAL Fire. In January 2021, Eric began his new full-time role as a Research Data Specialist II. He works in the San Benito-Monterey Emergency Command Center and models wildland fire behavior to support both strategic and tactical fire fighting operations during emerging incidents and during pre-planning and engineering. Eric also supports the resource management division's vegetation management and treatment projects and acts as the GIS and programming subject matter expert.

Congratulations, Eric! Learn more about his graduate internship project by clicking the button below.
Message from the Department Chair
Dear AES Students,

We have reached the final weeks of this challenging year and it is now time to celebrate your hard work and accomplishments. Thank you ALL for your perseverance and resilience through a unique period of remote learning. I hope to see you at the upcoming AES Virtual Capstone Festival, and, for the AES graduates, the in-person CSUMB Car Parade.  Our AES faculty and staff will be spaced along the route cheering on our graduates as they drive by.

Please join me in offering congratulations and best wishes to Dr. Heather Ward, ENSTU faculty, on her upcoming retirement from CSUMB. Thank you for your many years of dedication to our students and community.

Congratulations to the Class of 2021 graduates in ENSTU, ESTP, and ENSCI! The AES Faculty and Staff are so proud of you! Please stay in touch as you move on to your next endeavors.

My best wishes,
Susan Alexander
Professor and Chair, Department of Applied Environmental Science
Upcoming Virtual Events
Save the date!
Spring 2021 AES Virtual Capstone Festival

This year's festival will be taking place virtually on Thursday, May 20 from 2:00 - 5:00 pm.

Join us in celebrating the hard work of our undergraduate majors:
  • Environmental Studies (ENSTU)
  • Environmental Science, Technology & Policy (ESTP)

Keep an eye on the AES Capstone web page for more details in the coming weeks! You can RSVP for the event by completing this brief google form (Zoom login details will only be shared with those that RSVP).
Interested in having your story highlighted in our next AES highlight email? Complete one of the following forms for a chance to be featured on our website & in our upcoming email(s).
Department of Applied Environmental Science | https://csumb.edu/aes