The Center for Equitable Environmental Sciences Has Launched!
The Center for Equitable Environmental Sciences (CEES) is dedicated to cultivating environmental leaders equipped to address the climate emergency comprehensively and effectively. By supporting minoritized students in thriving within STEM fields and pursuing environmental careers, CEES aims to enhance representation, diversify perspectives, and promote justice in developing and implementing environmental solutions.
The concept for CEES was developed in 2021 by Chicano Studies Institute Director Inés Casillas and Sarah Anderson, Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the Bren School of Environmental Science and Management. Their ambitious vision received a significant boost with a $3 million Hispanic Serving Institution grant from the National Science Foundation in 2022. By January 2024, Dr. Casillas and her team had appointed CEES’s inaugural director to help bring their vision to life.
Recent Center Highlights
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New Career Track and Counselor: CEES has funded the creation of an Environment + Society Career Track at UCSB Career Services. A new Environment + Society Career Counselor will lead career support services for undergraduates, especially Latinx/Hispanic and other minoritized students, through internships, workshops, and direct advising.
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Regional Partnerships: CEES has established partnerships with organizations like the Central Coast Alliance United for a Sustainable Economy (CAUSE) to engage students with social, economic, and environmental justice issues in the region. This collaboration aims to immerse students in the work of community organizers and policy advocates.
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Paid Internships: In collaboration with the Bren Environmental Leadership Program (BEL), CEES has developed five paid environmental justice internship opportunities for summer 2024. This initiative includes providing environmental justice education and career planning to all BEL participants.
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Mentor Project: The CEES Mentor Project connects new STEM students with experienced peer mentors. Registration for the fall cohort begins this summer, offering a supportive network for students.
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Collaboration with Santa Barbara City College: CEES is building connections with Santa Barbara City College to better prepare and support STEM transfer students interested in environmental careers.
About CEES’s Director
Yassi Eskandari, CEES’s inaugural director, joined the UCSB community four months ago. She brings a background in law and policy advocacy, focusing on climate justice, workers' rights, and sustainable community economies. Eskandari is eager to apply her passion for justice and systemic change to her new role at CEES.
For collaboration opportunities, you can reach Yassi Eskandari at yassi@ucsb.edu.
Yassi Eskandari, CEES Director
