Supporting Environmental Science Students

Making Internships Possible for Future Environmental Leaders

The Environmental Science and Policy Experiential Learning Fund is a new opportunity to back the next generation of environmental leaders. Initiated by dedicated current and former faculty members Susan Harrison, Robert Johnson and Pete Richerson, this growing endowment – already hitting $200,000 thanks to their generosity and support from other faculty – will provide helpful stipends to undergraduate students majoring in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning or Environmental Science and Management.

Professor Gwen Arnold with the Department of Environmental Science and Policy said thanks to this funding, students can focus on doing educational internships, not how to afford them.

A student stands in a stream making notes about the water. — Students on a field trip to Stebbins Cold Water Reserve use tools and test techniques to better understand the water cycle. Photo by: Fred Greaves.

“We have a lot of professors that really care about the department and undergraduate education. They remember being a student. They remember struggling with some of this stuff like, ‘how do you financially support yourself while doing an internship?’ I think they want to be able to have that direct impact,” Arnold said.

Internships are essential steppingstones in environmental careers. Yet many are typically unpaid or low-paid, creating financial hurdles for students who want to gain hands-on experience. This fund helps bridge that gap by offering stipends for students completing an internship, whether working alongside faculty in a lab on campus or gaining valuable field and agency experience, without the pressure of choosing paid work over career-building opportunities. Throughout the years, students have held internships all over the state, including CalRecycle, U.S. Geological Survey and California Department of Water Resources.

People stand together for a selfie on the shoreline while the sun sets in the background. — Students visit the Bodega Marine Laboratory with Sean Godwin, assistant professor with the Department of Environmental Science and Policy, who teaches marine and coastal field ecology.

The fund empowers students to explore the many paths within the environmental field, from GIS analysis to public communication, giving them a chance to discover where their passions truly lie.

“It gives students a chance to use the knowledge that they have acquired in the classroom, see how it's applied, and then also see what part of the environmental realm they want to be in,” Arnold said.

The first awards are set to be distributed fall 2026.

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Gwen Arnold

Professor, Department of Environmental Science and Policy

Supporting Environmental Science Students