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The Schmidt Family Foundation has renewed its multi-year support of the University of California, Santa Barbara’s Schmidt Environmental Solutions Fellows Program, extending nearly a decade of investment in environmental research and leadership development. The funding will continue to support undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral researchers working on solutions to pressing environmental challenges.
Professor Douglas McCauley, Principal Investigator (PI) at the UC Santa Barbara Marine Science Institute (MSI) and a faculty leader affiliated with the Environmental Solutions Program, welcomed the renewed commitment. He noted that the fellowship has helped hundreds of students apply their research beyond academia and contribute directly to addressing environmental issues ranging from overfishing and wildfires to drought and food insecurity.
Professor Douglas McCauley works with students in the field, where hands-on research experiences will become an expanded component of the Schmidt Environmental Solutions Fellows Program through new immersive learning opportunities for undergraduates. Courtesy Image
The renewed 2025–2028 funding cycle expands the program through additional postdoctoral fellowships and enhanced mentorship opportunities connecting senior researchers with graduate and undergraduate students. Since its inception, the program has supported more than 200 UCSB students whose research has addressed topics including sustainable agriculture, carbon sequestration, coral reef conservation, and fisheries recovery.
At a time when federal funding for environmental research faces increasing uncertainty, the fellowship continues to provide critical support for emerging scientists. Among its beneficiaries is postdoctoral fellow Shalanda Grier, whose research examines how coral reef communities respond to environmental disturbances and human impacts. The fellowship has provided opportunities for field research, professional training, scientific communication, and career development.
The program has also played a transformative role for undergraduate students. Macey Hartmann, who received a mentorship fellowship as a first-year student, conducted research on giant sea bass in Southern California and credits the program with helping her pursue a future in science. Hartmann was recently awarded the University of Miami Fellowship and will begin Ph.D. studies at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science in Fall 2026.
Through the Schmidt Environmental Solutions Fellows Program, students gain hands-on field research experience while working alongside faculty mentors.
The fellowship's impact extends to students from backgrounds that have historically had limited access to research opportunities. Program alumna Marian Walker, who studied wildfires in California's foothills, benefited from research and educational opportunities that helped her remain engaged in science while building a pathway toward a career in environmental research.
In addition to research support, fellows receive science communication training designed to help them effectively engage public audiences, policymakers, and journalists. The 2026 Schmidt Science Communications Workshop, hosted by the UC Santa Barbara Marine Science Institute, provided participants with hands-on media training led by Carlie Wiener, Director of Communications for Schmidt Sciences, along with feedback from reporters representing major national news organizations. Among the participants was Sadie Cwikiel, a Ph.D. student at the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management whose research focuses on coral reef conservation and resilience. Cwikiel described the workshop as valuable preparation for communicating scientific findings to broader audiences while maintaining scientific accuracy.
Through the Schmidt Environmental Solutions Fellows Program, students gain hands-on field research experience while working alongside faculty mentors. Courtesy Image
The accomplishments of Schmidt Fellows have been recognized by institutions including NASA, Science magazine, and the Aquarium of the Pacific. Alumni have gone on to careers in academia, government, nonprofit organizations, and environmental entrepreneurship.
Program leaders expressed their gratitude to the Schmidt Family Foundation for its nearly decade-long partnership, noting that the foundation’s sustained support has enabled hundreds of UCSB students and researchers to pursue impactful environmental research, develop professional skills, and contribute solutions to global environmental challenges.
I’m so excited about this new addition to the Schmidt Environmental Solutions Fellows Program. We know that some of UCSB’s most inspirational teachers are mountain meadows, ancient trees, and cathedral-like kelp forests. For many students, this program will represent their first opportunity to do science in nature. I have no doubt many new environmental leaders will be minted.
The renewed funding also supports new mentoring initiatives and a field immersion program that will provide undergraduate students with hands-on research experiences at UCSB’s Sierra Nevada Aquatic Research Laboratory. There, students will gain practical training in wildlife monitoring, microplastics research, and endangered species surveys, helping inspire the next generation of environmental scientists and leaders.
Adapted from original reporting by Sonia Fernandez, “Schmidt Family Foundation renews multi-year funding of UCSB’s Environmental Solutions Fellows Program,” The Current, UC Santa Barbara, 2026.