Building Community through Recognition: EPM Program Awards

Recognition can be a powerful catalyst for building vibrant and supportive communities that celebrate excellence, inspire growth and foster lasting connections. To highlight some of the exceptional work that is being done within our community, we developed five categories of awards, announced annually at our graduation ceremony. Each category represents a vital component of our thriving academic community. With the exception of the Alumni of the Year award, the other categories are peer-nominated and selected by a panel of program faculty and staff. This year's awardees were:

Alumni of the Year- Thomas Miller

This award is to highlight an alumni who is making remarkable contributions to the field of environmental policy and management. They remain actively engaged with the program through EPM’s mentorship program, event participation, guest speaking slots, or partnering for the Policy Clinic or a Practicum. 

Thomas graduated from the Environmental Policy and Management program in June 2023 and is currently working as an Environmental Scientist at CalRecycle. In his role he advises on climate and waste technologies and supports California’s shift to a circular economy through expertise in GreenHouseGas quantification and anaerobic digestion. Since graduation, he represented CalRecycle at the Environmental Job Fair, served on an alumni panel on EPM’s recruitment day and has informally mentored students who are employed with CalRecycle, or hope to be one day. We are grateful for Thomas’ engagement and leadership and look forward to seeing what he achieves in his future.

Instructor of the Year- Dr. Eric Post

This award honors an instructor who has had an impact on student’s learning experiences, challenged thinking through the course content or teaching methods, and someone who fosters an inclusive and productive learning environment. 

Dr. Eric Post is a Professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology. His research focuses on how climate change affects plants and the animals that eat them. More specifically, this work involves understanding how arctic grazers like caribou and muskoxen, which are really “ice age” animals, are responding to rapidly warming conditions in a normally cold part of the world. 

Comments from Eric’s nominations highlight his key strengths. Eric creates a supportive environment where students feel safe discussing difficult topics related to climate change. His teaching style emphasizes connection among students and with the course materials, making learning more memorable and impactful. He demonstrates authenticity, vulnerability, resilience and courage in his work despite facing opposition from climate change deniers. Eric combines academic expertise with personal experience, which brings his climate change research to life.

Mentor of the Year- Doug Ito

The Mentor of the Year award recognizes the time and effort that many of our external mentors spend engaging with students. This student nominated award honors someone who:

• Facilitated connections among students and professionals in their networks
• Assisted students in professional development (i.e. resume review, job shadowing)
• Connected students with professional development opportunities such as conferences and workshops

We are pleased to award Doug Ito, member of EPM’s External Advisory Committee, with this award. Doug serves as a State Oil & Gas Supervisor with the Department of Conservation, where he oversees the California Geologic Energy Management Division. His work involves protecting public health, safety, and the environment in regulatory roles overseeing oil, gas, and geothermal industries. Prior to this role, Doug served as the Director of the Consumer Protection and Enforcement Division of the California Public Utilities Commission. Students who have been mentored by Doug have said that he has been a tremendous resource to them, providing insights into the state hiring process and facilitating connections with his extensive professional network. Unfortunately, Doug was not able to attend the awards ceremony.

Advisor of the Year- Dr. Alessandro Ossola

As many of the students can attest, advising is crucial to a student’s success in graduate school. This award is to highlight a faculty advisor who has demonstrated exceptional service in advising and mentoring students. This person provides comprehensive guidance and support to students throughout their academic career and mentors students in both academic and professional development. 

Dr. Alessandro Ossola is an ecologist, environmental scientist, and Professor in the Department of Plant Sciences. He conducts research in urban areas, focusing on complex interactions between organisms, people and the urban environment, with emphasis on climate and social change. In 2023, Dr. Ossola was also awarded the Graduate Program Advising and Mentoring
Award from the office of Graduate Studies. 

Students who nominated Dr. Ossola stated “[Dr. Ossola] has been critical in my graduate journey. Not only has he made time to meet me every quarter, he has gone out of his way to forge academic and professional connections for me. When I indicated to him that I was anxious about funding, he connected me to various colleagues to help me find a TA or GSR position. I have also been looking for ways to be involved in academic research, and when I shared this with him, he offered to let me join his lab, gave me keys to it, and allowed me to participate in any general meetings the lab has. He has also been a pillar of strong support amidst attacks on international workers and students and has, on various occasions, made me feel safe and presented himself as a mentor looking out for everyone he advises."

Director's Award- Paul Ronevich

The Director's Award is a peer-nominated honor celebrating outstanding student achievements. The ideal nominee demonstrates one or more of the following criteria:

• Demonstrates a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment
• Has shown the ability to overcome challenges
• Demonstrates academic excellence, extracurricular involvement or other leadership
• Shows an ability to support and assist classmates
• Contributes to the development of the EPM program through service or leadership
   

After receiving a Biology and Secondary Education degree at Saint Francis University, Paul taught high school environmental science for 16 years in Pittsburgh, PA, where he focused on helping students identify and address systemic societal issues. While at UC Davis, Paul has worked as a graduate student researcher, studying water allocation issues in rural California and the intersection between resource use and habitat enrichment.

The nominations for Paul highlighted his natural leadership and his ability to inspire his classmates. Comments from his nominations shared insights about Paul: “From organizing social events, to facilitating a richer academic environment, Paul is always bringing community together to build deeper bonds toward common goals and interests. Paul will frequently organize social events — like volleyball leagues, hikes to local destinations, and even a talent show — which creates invaluable networking and bonding experiences that bring the EPM community together. He's also active in facilitating bigger-picture thinking, involving fellow students in his research, or by just being a great guy to ideate with, given his deep knowledge in a variety of EPM-related topics. Paul is a friend and ally to all.”

In recognizing excellence, we do not just honor individuals—we honor the very best of what our community can be, and in doing so, we ensure that excellence becomes not just an aspiration but a tradition that defines who we are and who we aspire to become. Congratulations to all of the 2024-2025 award winners!