Alumni Spotlight- Morgen Snyder
Morgen Snyder graduated from the UC Davis Environmental Policy and Management program in June of 2025. Her bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Legal Studies were awarded from Illinois State University in 2017. Prior to attending UC Davis, Morgen worked in International Compliance law for 6 years as a paralegal. She started her career in Washington, DC, working for an international law firm, Steptoe and Johnson. Morgen eventually took a job as a paralegal secondee for Meta, where she worked supply chain and international compliance issues. During her time at UC Davis, Morgen joined Restore the Delta as a Climate Water Advocate. Morgen has now been at Restore the Delta for nearly two years, and holds the position of Director of Policy and Programs. In this role, Morgen helps to run Restore the Delta’s five programs, while executing their policy and advocacy agenda at the State and Federal levels.
What initially drew you to the EPM program, and how did your time in the program shape your career path?
The decision to attend UC Davis’ Environmental Policy and Management program started with my undergrad experience. During my time at Illinois State, I had the opportunity to engage in international water security issues, traveling to Stockholm, Sweden to attend World Water Week in 2016. I was drawn to efforts to protect our waterways and secure clean water for communities, so I identified UC Davis as a leading university in the environmental space. The fact that the program centered professional experience as opposed to thesis programs offered the ability to gain career-building experience that was invaluable for someone switching career paths. I also greatly enjoyed the opportunity to curate the program to my specific interests. It was a massive appeal of the program, enabling me to not only dive into my interests in marine and freshwater management, but to also explore new areas of expertise in the climate space. With an interest in policy work, the program is also uniquely positioned less than an hour away from the State Capitol. This provides students with the opportunity to engage directly in legislative processes, which was invaluable as a graduate student.
What is your favorite memory from your time as a student?
I have two favorite memories from my time as a student. The first memory was during the first quarter of the program. Our policy implementation [and development] class required us to develop and present a policy pitch. To prepare for the presentation, I hosted the entire cohort at my house for a “policy pitch party.” It was a blast sharing and presenting our ideas, sharing feedback to support our classmates, and getting to know each other a little better. One of the best parts of the EPM program is engaging with like-minded individuals who also become part of your growing professional network.
My other favorite memory from the program was also an opportunity that came out of that first quarter class, which required us to hold a professional interview with individuals in our desired field. I interviewed the CA policy director for Surfrider, Laura Walsh. This interview dovetailed into a working relationship that provided me on the ground experience with policy work: I had the opportunity to provide public comments on behalf of the organization, as well as participating in state and federal lobby days.
What are you working on now that excites you?
My current position at Restore the Delta is overall a dream job for me. I have the opportunity every day to engage directly with legislators and other individuals and organizations that work in California water policy. I am particularly excited about a new shift to alternative water management solutions across California that centers local, resilient, and sustainable projects over the prioritization of imported water. In my current role, I oversee a number of exciting projects. I oversee our Delta Science Program, which focuses on water quality issues, including the proliferation of harmful algal blooms (HABs) throughout the Delta. My time in the EPM program actually spurred my interest in HABs, and I know have the opportunity to pull from the experience of translating science into policy in advocating for healthier waterways. Another exciting project I am overseeing is the beginning of a large restoration project, which seeks to restore a nine-mile long slough that runs through Stockton, CA. The project centers community needs, and engages a diverse range of local partners to determine what meaningful restoration will look like for the slough. We hope to eventually see the slough rewatered as a flood protection tool, and an economic driver for the community.
What skills or experiences from your time in EPM do you draw on today?
My time in the EPM program equipped me well for my current role. As mentioned above, the science-policy translation has been an incredibly important tool that helps me navigate our advocacy and education work. I have drawn on my experience from GIS to help map environmental justice impacts along waterways in the Delta, and have leveraged key ideas we learned in our environmental economics class. Our policy implementation class set me up incredibly well to advocate in the building and effectively highlight key issues for legislators. The policy clinic work taught me how to meet client expectations and how to engage in a diverse group, which has been instrumental in my work in building and leading coalitions. And the actual policy clinic project has helped to inform social science with tangible science for various projects I work on a daily basis. Collectively, the EPM program set me up incredibly well for the career path I am currently on.
What advice would you give to current students in the EPM program?
My biggest piece of advice would be to show up and engage across the board. Take advantage of the expertise you have in your professors, ask questions, work through the hard parts because it is all valuable information that will help you in your career path. Look for outside opportunities and take advantage of the location to Sacramento. The hands on experience is just as important as what you learn in the classroom, and being a student provides a unique opportunity to make mistakes and learn along the way. Being a student also opens doors that will not be available to you after you graduate - people will answer your emails and offer you unique opportunities while you’re a student. Take advantage of everything you possibly can, because those experiences and lessons learned will be the most memorable and helpful take-aways from your time in the EPM program.