Three current IEP students on a field trip at Carmel valley Oct. 2021
Three current Environmental Policy students on field trip to Carmel Valley River Lagoon, Big Sur Land Trust property, October 13, 2021, as part of field study for Conservation Project Design & Evaluation, Jeff Langholz professor of record.

Environmental Policy graduates who have the Ocean and Coastal Resource Management specialization have done very well in the job market, with approximately 94% currently employed in the ocean and coastal resource management field. 

IEP/OCRM Alumni Profiles

This video highlights a few graduates of the Environmental Policy & Management master’s program, most of whom have the Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM) specialization—a specialization that the Center for the Blue Economy helped to establish more than 10 years ago. The CBE and our generous donors continue to support OCRM students, providing funded fellowships that offer real-world experience and key connections to launch successful careers. 

The Center for the Blue Economy established the Ocean and Coastal Resource Management specialization in 2011 after consulting with hundreds of marine policy professionals in all sectors. We keep in touch with OCRM alumni once a year and are continually impressed.  Alumni are routinely awarded prestigious fellowships such as NOAA Sea Grant, Fulbright, and Boren awards. Dozens of our alumni have risen to leadership positions, both domestically and abroad. Current students in the program are encouraged to reach out and chat with graduates to explore careers and gain valuable insight and connections in the field. Networking is a key component to student and alumni success at MIIS.  

OCRM Alumni 2011–2022
Professional Positions as of January 2023

Grad Year Position Employer Former Employer/Notes
2022 California Sea Grant State Fellow Delta Stewardship Council Formerly Watershed Health Program Coordinator for Inland Ocean Coalition
2022 Community Teacher/Interim Associate 2nd Grade Teacher Stevens Cooperative School Formerly Research Fellow: Climate and Resilience Education Task Force at National Wildlife Federation
2022 Marine Science and Scuba Diving Instructor  Sea|mester Formerly Research Assistant for Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center
2022 Coastal Resilience Analyst/Planner  Hampton Roads Planning District Commission   
2022 Illegal Fisheries Analyst C4ADS (Center for Advanced Defense Studies) Formerly Environmental Security Intern at The Stimson Center
2022 Project Coordinator SecondMuse (Regenerative Monterey Project) Formerly Bycatch Mitigation Intern for WWF
2022 Fulbright Fellow The Fulbright Program Formerly Multimedia Storyteller for Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust
2022 Senior Associate Nuka Research and Planning Group, LLC (marine environmental consulting firm) Formerly Coastal Geospatial Technician for the National Park Service in Anchorage, AK
2022 Program Coordinator, US Regions Environmental Defense Fund Formerly Blue Carbon Seaweed Intern, same organization
2022 Marine Spatial Planning Manager The Waitt Institute Formerly Senior Associate for The Pew Charitable Trusts
2022 US and California Conservation Outreach Monterey Bay Aquarium Currently also Planner 1 for Sea Level Rise Planning Feasibility Study for Humboldt County
2022 Research Analyst Virgil Group  
2021 Tribal Response Program Specialist Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua & Siuslaw Indians Formerly a Student Project Assistant at the Meridian Institute
2021 Lead Project Developer  Fair Carbon Currently also Int’l Blue Carbon Policy Consultant for Conservation International; Formerly Fair Carbon Intern at IUCN
2021 Assistant Environmental Planner Circlepoint Currently also an Environmental Education Intern with the Carmel River Watershed Conservancy
2021 Coastal Planner California Coastal Commission Formerly California Sea Grant Fellow with California State Parks
2021 Recruiter & Culture Builder Wildtype (cellular agriculture for seafood) Formerly Project Lead at the Good Food Institute; Formerly Project Management Assistant at Conservation Alliance for Seafood Solutions
2021 Manager, Collaborations | Climate, Transport Business for Social Responsibility (BSR) Formerly a Business Strategy and Partnerships at Center for Climate and Energy Solutions (C2ES)
2021 Coastal Planning Analyst California Coastal Commission Formerly Assistant Environmental Planner at Circlepoint
2020 Research and Policy Associate  Antarctic and Southern Ocean Coalition Formerly a Polar and Climate Programme Project Assistant for GRID-Adrenal in Norway
2020 Project Manager, Seafood Alliance for Legality and Traceability (SALT) FishWise Formerly a Seafood Social Risk Tool Analyst for the Monterey Bay Aquarium; Formerly an Int’l Conservation Policy Consultant for The Ocean Foundation
2020 Coastal Management Specialist Pasay Harbor City Corp Fomerly Research Intern at WWF; Formerly Marine Research Intern at Cape Eleutherea Institute
2020 Coordinator Quinta Mazatlan World Birding Center Formerly Americorps Member at Teton Science Schools
2020 Coastal Program Analyst California Coastal Commission Formerly Planning Intern, same organization
2020 Climate Change Program Manager   California Ocean Protection Council Formerly Climate Ready Fellow at CA State Coastal Conservancy
2020 Fish Culturist I  Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation  Formerly Fisheries Technician III at Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation 
2020 Veterinary Medicine Student Murdoch University in Perth, Australia Formerly Crew Supervisor/Rescue Intern at The Marine Mammal Center
2020 Marketing Manager and Educational Guide  Upwelling Sustainable Seafood Company  Formerly Marketing Assistant at TAITRA (Taiwan External Trade Development Council) in L.A., CA
2020 Senior Project Manager HomeRise (formerly Community Housing Partnership) Formerly Sustainable Transportation Collaboration Fellow at BSR
2020 Analyst Endurant Energy (formerly GI Energy) Formerly Sustainable Energy Consultant at GreenMax Capital Advisors
2019 Research Associate Oceana Formerly Research Assistant, same organization; Formerly intern at NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center
2019 Environmental Scientist Integral Consulting Inc. (analysis/assessment/negotiation/design for health, environmental, and natural resources problems) Formerly California Sea Grant Science & Policy Fellow at California State Lands Commission
2019 Resarcher (Russian Arctic) Institute of Current World Affairs Formerly Boren Fellow at Boren Insitute - Mozambique (researching how natural resource management and climate change relates to political stability); Formerly Fulbright Fellow - Senegal (researching dynamics of climate impacts, focusing on coastal fishing communities)
2019 Executive Producer / Program Associate After the Fire USA Formerly Program Analyst for Taking Action for Living Systems; Formerly Media Specialist at Communities for a Sustainable Monterey County
2019 Global Head, Sustainability for Cloud Logistics  Microsoft Formerly Policy Lead at Blue Sky Maritime Coalition; Formerly Director, Global Sustainability & Corporate Citizenship at Crowley
2019 Senior Associate KPMG Norway Formerly Graduate Student studying the Law of the Sea, at UiT - The Arctic University of Norway
2019 Supply Chain Planning Manager Second Harvest of Silicon Valley (food security) Formerly Replenishment Analyst at West Marine in Watsonville, CA
2019 Able Bodied Seaman | Fill-in Captain Stabbert Maritime Holdings, LLC | Pacific Scuba Divers Formerly a Divemaster with Bamboo Reef Enterprises in Monterey
2019 Associate Planner 1 Denise Duffy & Associates (planning, natural resource, and environmental consulting services) Formerly Program Manager at Monterey Bay Fisheries Trust
2018 Sustainability Coordinator County of San Mateo Formerly Manager at Monterey Bay Kayaks
2018 Environmental Scientist | Climate Change Programs California Natural Resources Agency Formerly Coastal Planner at San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
2018 Mediator and Program Manager Meridian Institute (support environmental implementation) Formerly Conservation Program Manager Santa Lucia Conservancy
2018 Program Manager The Waitt Institute Formerly Manager, Office of the CEO at Oceana
2018 Marine Spatial Scientist CSS (for NOAA NCCOS Marine Spatial Ecology Division) Formerly Marine Spatial Ecologist for Rare, World Wildlife Fund, and National Geographic, Fisheries Ecologist for NOAA NEFSC
2018 Supervisory Park Ranger Scissortail Park Foundation Formerly Human Intelligence Collector at Army National Guard in Oklahoma City
2018 Institutional Giving Manager The Marine Mammal Center Formerly Climate Corps Fellow/ Assistant Project Manager at City of Hayward (shoreline adaptation)
2018 Program Manager Alaska Solar LLC Formerly Resilience Fellow, Mayors Office, Anchorage, Alaska
2018 Nature-Based Solutions Lead for the Climate Preparedness and Resilience Community of Practice U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Formerly Seattle District Aquaculture Reinforcement Team Member
2018 Country Support Officer USAID, Bureau for Resilience and Food Security Formerly with RARE, Policy and Governance Advisor on Fisheries; Formerly with FAO working on Blue Growth Initiative
2017 Project Manager Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) Formerly Managing Director at MindEdge Learning (e-learning for higher education)
2017 Coastal Management Specialist & NERR (National Estuarine Research Reserve Management) Management Liaison NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration Formerly Environmental Specialist II/Coastal Planner at Dudek
2017 Communications Manager The Phinney Neighborhood Association (community connection & civic engagement org) Formerly Recruiting Coordinator at Amazon; Operations Coord. For Arboretum Foundation; Operations Associate, Conservation Northwest
2017 Business Owner - Animal Rights Advocate/Vegan Blogger Off the Streets, Animal Transport & Wellness  
2017 Natural Resource Specialist 3 Alaska Department of Natural Resources Formerly Policy Analyst at Univeristy of Alaska Fairbanks International Arctic Research Center ( NOAA)
2017 Stewardship Project Manager Big Sur Land Trust Formerly Environmental Management Advisor for Peace Corps Jamaica 
2017 Urban Conservation Manager Seattle Audubon Society Formerly Project Scientist, The Nature Conservancy
2017 Senior Associate PlaceWorks (planning, design, and environmental firm)  Formerly Senior Air Quality Scientist at FirstCarbon Solutions 
2017 Water Resources Control Engineer  State Water Resources Control Board Formerly Agricultural Water Management Specialist at Resource Conservation District of Monterey County
2017 Policy Analyst International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks (consulting work for NOAA) Formerly Natural Resource Advisor, same organization
2017 Manager Sanctuary Rock Gym  
2016 Senior Manager, Climate Policy   Ocean Conservancy Formerly Climate Change Program Manager at California Ocean Protection Council
2016 Senior Consultant  Celerity Consulting Group Formerly GIS Analysist via Apex Systems for Apple
2016 Research Area Specialist Associate Graham Sustainability Institute Formerly Field Organizer for Yes on 1631
2016 Supervisor/Assistant Equestrian Trainer Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament Attraction Formerly Business Development Consultant, Marine Megafauna Foundation; Equestrian artist/performer with Cavalia/Cirque du Soleil
2016 Communications Specialist NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration, Marine Debris Division Formerly Communications and Outreach Specialist at I.M. Systems Group Inc
2016 Associate Water Resources Specialist Valley Water Formerly Social Media Director at ESTUARY News
2015 Senior Digital Associate Lenfest Ocean Program (part of Pew Charitible Trusts) Formerly Outreach Coordinator, Blue Frontier Campaign (ocean advocacy group)
2015 Senior Environmental Scientist CA State Lands Commission, Environmental Planning and Management Division (working on sea level rise policy) Formerly NOAA Sea Grant Fellow, same organization
2015 Visiting Researcher University of Victoria  Formerly PhD Candidate at Memorial University of Newfoundland
2015 Resource Protection Specialist Affiliate, Channel Islands, Cordell Bank, and Greater Farallones Nat’l Marine Sanctuaries U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA) Formerly NOAA Sea Grant Fellow, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary
2015 Corporate Partnerships Manager Global Ghost Gear Initiative Formerly Coastal Program Analyst, followed by Coastal Planner, CA Coastal Commission
2015 GloLitter Partnerships  Project Coordinator  Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Formerly PhD Candidate at University of Tasmania, Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies  and a Consultant (variety fisheries management and plastic pollution consulting, focus in Pacific region)
2015 Senior Transportation Planner California Coastal Commission Formerly Coastal Program Analyst II- Enforcement, same organization
2015 Senior Fisheries Analyst Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) Formerly Environmental Scientist at California Department of Water Resources
2015 Co-Director/Co-Founder Community Greening Formerly Business Partner, Both Co Aquaponics
2014 Compliance and Legal Department NORCAL Group Formerly International Environmental Regulatory Research Analyst, Beveridge & Diamond, P.C., Autin, TX
2014 Permit Supervisor, Central Coast District, California Coastal  California Coastal Commission  
2014 Interim Executive Director Haines Economic Development Corporation Currently also an Owner/Farmer & composting consultant for Takshanuk Watershed Council 
2014 PhD Candidate University of Tasmania, School of Geography and Environmental Studies (Studying climate change adaptation in the coastalscapes of southern Tasmania) Formerly National Coral Reef Management Fellow at U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in Rota, Mariana Islands
2014 Associate | Measuring Impact II Environmental Incentives, LLC Currently Co-owner at Kinship Kitchen; Formerly at The White Mountain School
2014 Co-Creator, Host Waste Not Why Not Formerly Senior Consultant at RESET Carbon Ltd. in Taipei City
2014 Senior Planner County of Santa Barbara (land use issues including coastal management) Formerly Planner II, same organization
2014 Senior Staff Specialist Bay Area Air Quality Management District Formerly Air Quality Planner, Monterey Bay Air Resources District
2014 Envrionmental Planner Dudek (environmental consulting firm) Formerly ENV Permitting Coordinator at Loeven Groups, Inc. (owns or operates funeral homes and cemeteries in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom) in San Francisco
2014 Senior Associate Environmental Incentives, LLC Formerly Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services Consultant, Inter-American Development Bank
2014 Arborist Orchardscapes Formerly Farmer/Education Supervisor, Homeless Garden Project
2014 Conservation Programs Manager Save the Waves Coalition Formerly Plastic Pollution Manager The Surfrider Foundation
2014 Adaptation Program Manager Center for Climate Adaptation Science and Solutions, University of Arizona Formerly NOAA Coastal Management Fellow, Puerto Rico Coastal Zone Management Program
2014 Senior Consultant  Implement Consulting Group Formerly Head of International Delivery for cBrain (neuroimaging software)
2013 Senior Manager, Project Delivery, Marine, Gender and Safeguards Specialist Conservation International   
2013 Bay Resources Analyst San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission (BCDC) Currently also a PhD Marine Policy Candidate at University of Delaware, Formerly with US Army Corps of Engineers as a NOAA Sea Grant Fellow 
2013 Director (Independent Consultant) Kearns & West Currently also a Founder and Principal of Seagrave Consulting (Self-Employed), Formerly with San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission
2013 International Relations Specialist Bureau of Ocean Energy Management  Formerly International Affairs Specialist, NOAA: National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
2013 Director of Content Marketing Zeplin (product design software & firm) Formerly Integrated Marketing Manager at Comfy by Building Robotics (mission: make modern buildings more energy efficient, comfortable for humans)
2013 Microgrant Co-Manager Our Kids Climate (International) Formerly Lionbridge (translation & localization company)
2013 Land Protection Manager Triangle Land Conservancy (mission:  get people out into preserves and into nature) Formerly with South Carolina Environmental Law Project
2013 Fisheries Consultant Nordenfjeldske Development Services (NFDS) Formerly Consultant at TRAFFIC: Conducts intelligence gathering at wildlife markets in South Africa to analyze the scale of the illegal wildlife trade at major urban centers; Streamlines information sharing between customs officers from ten different countries at major customs workshop in China.
2013 Writer, Editor, Strategist Self-Employed Formerly California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF
2013 Program Project Manager Amazon Web Services (AWS) Formerly Operations Project Manager at CelLink Corporation
2013 Equity and Policy Manager Portland Water Bureau Formerly Director of Governance and Policy and Senior Manager of Ocean Health Index at Conservation International
2012 Lecturer  California State University, Monterey Bay Formerly with County of Monterey
2012 Senior Manager, Corporate Climate Solutions Conservation International  Formerly with Lestari Capital, Before that with World Resources Institute
2012 Authenticity Coach Awaken Authenticity Formerly with Paddle On/ Environmental Traveling Companions (ETC)
2012 Business Development The Reynolds Group Formerly with Stevenson School, Pebble Beach
2012 Marine Program Manager WildAid Formerly with Lindsay Wildlife Experience
2011 Policy Coordinator Surfrider Foundation Formerly with California Coastal Commission