Alumni Profile
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UC Santa Cruz alumni leading local nonprofits: The Volunteer Center
Many nonprofits across Santa Cruz County have roots that trace back to UC Santa Cruz alumni, who played pivotal roles in launching and shaping their missions.
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Supporting early career alums: Finding hope in challenging times
In a time of uncertainty, where environmental challenges grow more complex and the future feels unpredictable, two UC Santa Cruz alumni share their insights on adapting to professional challenges while staying true to their core values.
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Philanthropy in action: Alumna Roberta Gordon invests in students for Earth’s future
Roberta Gordon bridges science, law, and philanthropy for environmental progress
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Alumnus James Dawes thrives in sustainable contracting and remodeling business with focus on reclaimed materials
UCSC alum James Dawes, founder of the successful contracting, demolition, and remodeling business PlaceMakers, takes pride in utilizing reclaimed materials and minimizing waste. Dawes credits his environmentally conscious business approach to the mindset cultivated during his college years.
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Life Beyond the Redwoods: Noah Whitley reflects on the value of a UCSC degree one year later
One year after graduating from UCSC, Noah Whitley works as a legislative assistant for a political consulting firm that works closely with the California State Legislature.
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Kathleen Finlay brings UCSC education to the forefront in her fight for food sustainability and social justice
UC Santa Cruz alumna Kathleen Finlay is the president of the Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming in the Hudson Valley and founder of Pleiades.
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Coming to Fruition
UCSC alumni Tallula Preston and David Purgason founded Watsonville based Fruition Brewing in 2019. Four years later, the duo’s establishment is a staple in the Santa Cruz and Watsonville communities.
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Nearly 30 years of conservation in Santa Cruz, alumna stays connected to the university and invests in students
UCSC alumna Jodi McGraw (Rachel Carson ’94, Environmental Studies and Biology) founded her conservation consulting firm in 2001 and has since hired upwards of 15 UCSC graduates and has sponsored almost 50 UCSC interns.
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Explore the “superbloom” in Santa Cruz County
A new Field Guide to Plants of UC Santa Cruz makes exploring the landscapes of the campus—and the county—fun and rewarding.
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Water wizards: Building an underground savings account to bolster water supply
An innovative water-conservation strategy diverts water from overflowing rivers to fallow farmland, where it seeps into the soil and replenishes depleted aquifers.
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Alumni Profile / 1991: Melissa Nelson: Revitalizing native cultures
Melissa Nelson believes the best ways to teach Native American youth about their cultural past is through their hearts and minds, as well as their stomachs.
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Farm to label: How alumnus helped bring organic labeling policy to the nation
Mark Lipson, now a research associate at Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, was instrumental in standardizing organic farming in the U.S. Now back at UCSC, he continues the mission of institutionalizing public policy support for organic farming.