More Than a Degree: Honoring Outstanding Contributions at Graduation

Every June, the EPM community gathers at the UC Davis Alumni Center Alpha Gamma Rho Hall. The Hall is filled with family, friends, mentors, faculty, staff, and students– all there to recognize the tremendous effort put forth by our graduates and the time investments made by members of our community. The EPM Graduation Ceremony complements the large commencement ceremony held by the Office of Graduate Studies, providing a personal experience to highlight the accomplishments of our graduates.

This year’s graduation celebration recognized 31 students, all ready to take the tools they learned during their time at UC Davis and jump into their careers. 21 students graduated with completed specializations, areas of concentration that range from Environmental Justice to Water Resources Management, with 6 students completing multiple specializations. Of this year’s graduates, four will continue on to earn their PhDs, the most of any graduating class! During this ceremony, we recognize the 17 faculty advisors who devoted many hours to meeting with their advisees and providing guidance on coursework, major program milestones, and professional development. 

During this ceremony, we don’t just celebrate the graduates. The EPM program established five award categories, each honoring a vital component of our academic community. With the exception of the Outstanding Alumni award, the other categories are nominated by the student body and selected by a panel of program faculty and staff. 

Outstanding Alumni Award

This award highlights an alumnus who is making significant contributions to the field of environmental policy and management and remains actively engaged with the program through event participation, the mentorship program, or project partnerships. This year’s Outstanding Alumni Award recipient is Rachael Alcala.

Rachael graduated from EPM in 2024, where she specialized in Marine Resources Management and Environmental Justice. After graduation, she continued her work with NOAA as a Natural Resource Management Specialist until she transitioned to her role as an Environmental Scientist with the State Water Resources Control Board. Rachael was recently appointed as the Co-Chair of EPM’s newly founded Alumni Association, where she will work to keep the EPM community connected, supported and inspired post-graduation. 

Outstanding Mentor Award

The Outstanding Mentor Award recognizes the time and effort many of our external mentors devote to engaging with students. This student-nominated award honors someone who has facilitated connections between students and professionals in their networks, assisted students in professional development, and connected students with professional development opportunities such as conferences and workshops. This year’s Outstanding Mentor award recipient is Jenn Bowles. 

Jenn is the Executive Director of the Water Education Foundation, a nonprofit organization that has put water resource issues in California and the West in context to inspire a deep understanding of and appreciation for water. Jenn has served on the program’s External Advisory Committee since 2022 and has been engaged with our mentorship program since it began. Comments from her nomination highlighted how Jenn has gone above and beyond for her mentees, providing critical guidance on application materials and career trajectories as well as providing the opportunity to engage with water professionals through networking events and water tours. 

Outstanding Advisor Award

As many of the students in this room can attest, advising is crucial to a student’s success in graduate school. This student-nominated 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. This year’s Outstanding Advisor Award recipient is Dr. David Bunn. 

David served as the Director of the Department of Conservation until 2019, when he managed programs to conserve agricultural lands and watersheds. David currently works as a conservation policy consultant. David has taught ENV 202: Policy Implementation and Development for several years until retiring this year.  Comments from his nomination emphasized the way David brought experiential learning and personal experience into the classroom, creating a high-value learning experience. The mock legislative hearing at the Capitol was a highlight for many students. Students noted their appreciation for David’s willingness to provide guidance and career advice!

Outstanding Instructor Award

This award is to honor an EPM instructor who has had a significant impact on students’ learning experiences, challenged thinking through the course content or teaching methods, and someone who fosters an inclusive and productive learning environment. This year’s awardee is Dr. Ryan Meyer.

Ryan is the Executive Director for the Center for Community and Citizen Science at the UC Davis School of Education. His career has focused on the dynamics between science and society and on the role of science in environmental decision-making. 

A comment from Ryan’s nomination highlighted “Ryan stepped in to instruct the Policy Clinic and was dedicated to the class and students since Day 1. When we encountered challenges with our project, we received great advice from Ryan on how to address them and make progress toward our goals. Ryan did small things like bringing snacks, bringing his dog Poppy to our group work sessions, and making us laugh to lighten our long workdays. I'm grateful we had an instructor who helped us succeed throughout our Policy Clinic”

Director’s Award 

The Director’s award is a peer-nominated honor celebrating outstanding student achievements. The ideal nominee demonstrates a commitment to fostering an inclusive environment, has shown the ability to overcome challenges, demonstrates academic excellence, extracurricular involvement, or other leadership, has shown an ability to support and assist classmates, and contributes to the development of the EPM program through service or leadership.  This year’s Director’s Award recipient is Ioana Seritan.

Comments from Ioana’s nomination highlighted how they care about the work that they do and the people around them. Ioana has a way of making shared spaces feel inclusive, uplifting, and safe. They have shown academic excellence and grit- after getting an injury in their second year, they managed their responsibilities with the Diversity Committee, professional work outside of the program, and remained a dedicated peer. Many comments highlighted the recent forum that Ioana put together, which enabled second-year students to share their experiences with the Practicum and Policy Clinic.

Congratulations to each award winner and to the graduating class of 2026! We look forward to seeing all that our graduates go on to accomplish.