Pablo Obregon, Consultant.

Pablo graduated with a Bachelors of Science in biochemistry from Bowdoin College in 2009 and spent two years working as a lab manager and research assistant at a stem cell laboratory at Massachusetts General Hospital. He then returned to Colombia to work at the CEINER Research Institute, co-leading a coral restoration project that sought to propagate two endangered coral species in offshore nurseries. Pablo also worked on developing aquaculture technology and infrastructure as a tool to replenish declining wild fish stocks, as well as to provide an alternative livelihood for artisanal fishermen. He is currently a Latin American Fisheries Fellow and a master's candidate at the Bren School, and is interested in developing innovative science-based management strategies to conserve coastal ecosystems and ensure the sustainable usage of marine resources. A Colombian national, Pablo is also very passionate about soccer (and the upcoming 2014 World Cup in Brazil).

LinkedIn  |  pobregon@bren.ucsb.edu

Sarah Lester

Principal Investigator, Research & Program Manager

Sustainable Fisheries Group

Sarah Poon

Research Associate

Environmental Defense Fund

Gina graduated from Western Washington University in 2009 with a Bachelors of Art in Environmental Planning and minor in Environmental Science. Following her academic career, Gina worked for two Puget Sound region cities in environmental services before spending two years with a consulting firm specializing in public involvement and outreach on energy, transportation, and natural resource related projects. Her interdisciplinary undergraduate education and professional experience helped shape her interest in assessing the interactions between coastal communities and their natural resources – a focus she is pursuing as she works towards a specialization in Economics and Politics of the Environment at the Bren School. As a scuba diver, kayaker, and former collegiate rower, Gina maintains a love for the water, seeking to better understand the political and environmental issues related to our aquatic resources. Gina is passionate about public engagement and outreach, specifically in working with communities to better understand complex environmental information to more effectively engage in decision-making processes. 

LinkedIn | gauriemma@bren.ucsb.edu

Although Kristen was born in the rural mountains of southwestern Virginia, she has always been drawn to the ocean and coral reef conservation.  To pursue her love of the ocean, she earned a Bachelors of Science in Biology in 2008, graduating with a concentration in Environmental and Conservation Biology and a minor in Ocean and Estuarine Science from George Mason University.  In order to focus on coral reef ecology, Kristen went on to obtain a Masters of Science in Biology from the University of Mississippi in 2012.  Her research focused on understanding the adaptive consequences of how corals acquire and maintain their algal symbionts.  In order to expand her knowledge of marine resource management and environmental communication, she is currently pursuing a master’s degree from the Bren School.  Kristen is interested in understanding how to use environmental management as a tool for effective community development.  Throughout her educational career, she has completed internships with the Center for Biological Diversity, the Student Conservation Association, and the Humane Society International.  As she loves getting people excited about science, she has also worked extensively as a science educator for children and young adults.  Outside of her studies, Kristen enjoys playing volleyball, scuba diving, and baking as much as possible.

LinkedIn  |   kbyler@bren.ucsb.edu

Katie earned dual Bachelors of Science degrees in Marine Biology and Coastal Environmental Science from Louisiana State University in 2010.  Her undergraduate coursework and research experience involved the chemical interactions within coastal ecosystems, focusing on the biogeochemistry of wetlands.  Upon graduating, she worked for two years in Southeastern Louisiana as a wetlands biologist.  Her work took her to remote marshes near small fishing communities, where she collected data used to monitor the rate of wetland loss and determine the efficacy of restoration initiatives.  Though she loved working outdoors, Katie was eager to do more than collect data and have an active role in developing policies that tackle the issues arising from the interaction between communities and fragile ecosystems.  This prompted her to pursue a master’s degree at Bren in Environmental Science and Management with concentrations in Coastal Marine Resources Management and Economics and Politics of the Environment.  Her studies at Bren have shifted her interests to marine resource management that achieves ecological goals while meeting the socio-economic needs of adjacent coastal communities. When not on campus, Katie enjoys surfing, scuba diving, and any activity involving the ocean.

LinkedIn  |  kpeterson@bren.ucsb.edu

Born on the island of Maui, Alana has always been drawn to the ocean, adventure, and community. She received her bachelor's degree as the Outstanding Graduate in Environmental Science from the Colorado College in 2009 and promptly headed west to reacquaint herself with the ocean. She spent the next three years working as an outdoor marine science educator with the Pacific Whale Foundation in Hawaii and with Guided Discoveries on Catalina Island. In 2011, Alana pursued her interest in international aid work and visited the Democratic Republic of the Congo to treat survivors of sexual abuse with the local non-profit organization, COPERMA. As a master's candidate at the Bren School, Alana's interests include exploring the relationship between coastal communities and their resources, international travel, and environmental education and communication. In addition to her studies at Bren, Alana spends much of her time singing with the school band, Brengrass, and volunteering with the Marine Science Institute's Research Education Experience Facility as a program analyst. 

LinkedIn  |  ayurkanin@bren.ucsb.edu

Dawn Dougherty

Project Researcher

Sustainable Fisheries Group

Dawn received her BS in mathematics from the University of Oregon and her MS in quantitative ecology and resource management from the University of Washington.  For her master’s thesis, she conducted research on spatial modeling for the biology and management of marine resources.  Her research focused on the applications of modeling management scenarios for U.S. Pacific coast groundfish.  After completion of her MS, Dawn was a lecturer in the department of statistics at the University of Washington, teaching courses in statistics and statistical programming.  Dawn has also worked doing systems design and as a project manager for various non-profit organizations.

ddougherty@bren.ucsb.edu

Amielle DeWan

Senior Director of Conservation Research and Monitoring

Rare

Amielle DeWan is the Senior Director of Conservation Research and Monitoring at Rare, wherere she is responsible for evaluating and improving the impactof  environment-focused social marketing campaigns across the globe. She works on the development, testing, and analysis of social and environmental indicators for projects in Andean cloud forests and RAMSAR wetlands in China to marine protected areas in the Philippines and Indonesia. In this role, she also provides training for local leaders in research-driven social marketing campaigns, collecting social surveys, and interpreting biological monitoring data. Amielle plays an active role in the Conservation Measures Partnership, as Rare's representative as well as serving on theboard, and recently oversaw the revision of the Open Standards for the Practice of Conservation 3.0. In addition to social marketing and monitoring, Amielle has significant expertise in climate change science and adaptation planning. She is also a board member and alumna of the Emerging Wildlife Conservation Leaders program. Amielle has her PhD in wildlife ecology, GIS, and statistics from Cornell University, with a dissertation focused on improving multi-species biodiversity monitoring in New York, and she has a Master's in conservation biology and public policy from the SUNY Albany.

Project Advisors

Christopher Costello

Professor

Bren School of Environmental Science & Management

Christopher Costello is a professor of natural resource economics at the Bren School at UC Santa Barbara.  His research focuses on decision making under uncertainty and resource use with incomplete property rights.  Much of his work has focused recently on marine resources – specifically fisheries economics - where he researches catch shares, fisheries cooperatives, marine protected areas, spatial property rights, and other mechanisms to simultaneously achieve profitability and sustainability.

costello@bren.ucsb.edu