EPM’s 10th Cohort Launches the New Academic Year

This fall, the Environmental Policy and Management program welcomes its 10th cohort. Almost a decade of graduates have gone on to shape environmental policy across California and beyond. We’re excited to see the next group begin!

September brings students back to Wickson Hall after a quiet summer, and we’re excited to welcome both new and returning graduate students to campus. Our 29 incoming students bring a wide range of experience in planning, policy, business, engineering, and horticulture. They join us from near and far, including Montana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Texas, Indiana, Nebraska, Minnesota, and cities across California.

We’re also welcoming back 32 second-year students, many of whom spend the summer completing their Practicum Internship. The Practicum lets students apply their first year coursework to a real-world environmental policy or management project with an off-campus partner. Over the summer, students worked with organizations such as the Department of Conservation, Environmental Defense Fund, the Strategic Growth Council, Stantec, and the Planning and Conservation League. Follow blog posts throughout the year for features on completed projects. If your organization is interested in hosting a student for their Practicum, please contact our program director, Jessica Penrose.

Academics

For the 26-27 academic year, we’re thrilled to welcome Dr. Camille Frazier, a cultural anthropologist by training to teach Policy Development and Implementation (ENV 202). Dr. Frazier has published research on food and the environment in India and lectures for our program. She is also the Agricultural Land Equity Program Lead at the California Strategic Growth Council. In spring 2026, Dr. Frazier taught a new EPM course titled Governing for Environmental Justice and Equity (ENV 226).

We also welcome back Tracy Winsor, who teaches Environmental Law (ENV 201), a course that develops student's ability to identify, analyze and explain legal issues presented by environmental problems. After a career with the state, Winsor now serves as a Professor of Environmental Practice and Co-Director of the California Environmental Law and Policy Center with the UC Davis School of Law. 

Dr. Ryan Meyer, Executive Director of the Center for Community and Citizen Science at the UC Davis School of Education, returns as the instructor for the Environmental Policy Clinic (ENV 203A/B).  This capstone class is designed to give students hands-on experience working in small teams on an environmental policy or management project with off-campus partners. Meyer guides projects to completion over three quarters and supports students as they complete their final program requirement. 

Involvement

EPM supports three student organizations: AEP at UC Davis Student Chapter, Student Diversity Committee and the EPM Social Committee. These student-led groups host speaker panels, workshops, and networking events to build community and offer professional development. Interested students can connect with committee leaders. You can also sign up to be a student member of AEP at UC Davis for FREE!

We’re also excited to introduce the new UC Davis EPM Alumni Association, a collective of alumni and program staff that helps the community stay connected, supported, and inspired even after graduation. The Association hosted their first event this summer and has more planned to connect alumni with one another and with our current students. Next, they’ll be hosting a Networking Tips session as part of the Fall Quarter Mentorship Workshop.

Tips for success

Here are some tips from second-year EPM students:

1. Set aside time each week for professional exploration: apply for jobs, attend events and seminars, connect with mentors, reach out to professionals for coffee chats, refine your resume and LinkedIn, etc.
2. Incorporate networking into your Professional Development Plan (PDP).
3. Meet with program staff (Jessica Penrose & Jessica Chalfin) each quarter. They can advise on classes, mentors, and career ideas.
4. Choose classes that will help you grow, not projects that will get you an A. Don’t be afraid to explore new topics!
5. Keep track of important dates & deadlines for internships, jobs, classes, EPM program requirements, etc., in advance. They'll sneak up quickly.
6. If you have part-time work or an internship that you are not using as Practicum Credits, don’t forget that you have the option to register for internship credits.
7. Utilize campus resources available to you (UC Davis Writing Center, Aggie Eats, Grad Studies, Student Health and Counseling Services, Student Disability Center, Internship and Career Center, etc.).
8. Connect with your cohort! You will learn from your peers in more ways than you might expect, and they could be your colleagues one day.
9. Fight imposter syndrome. You belong here!