Our Team

Jennifer Kidson, Stephanie Griffin, Natalie Cochran, Amanda Silver-Westrick, Cody Wilgus

NATALIE COCHRAN

Natalie graduated from Santa Clara University in 2014 with a B.S. in Environmental Science and minor in Political Science. Growing up in California's Central Valley, Natalie has always been aware of water issues in the West and the importance of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Bay Delta as a supply source for California. As an intern for Restore the Delta, a small non-profit located in Stockton, California, she became passionate about water politics and scarcity as well as effective long-term supply management. She is currently specializing in Water Resources Management at Bren and hopes to pursue a career combining her scientific and political background to improve water management decisions in California in the face of future climate change.

STEPHANIE GRIFFIN

Stephanie graduated with honors from the University of Maryland in 2011 with a B.A. in Government & Politics. She then served as an Agroforestry Peace Corps Volunteer for over two years in Mali and Senegal, where she found a passion for sustainable natural resource management and food security. She is currently studying Water Resources Management at Bren, which will complement her policy undergraduate degree and agroforestry field experience. She wishes to pursue a career dedicated to improving the understanding of technical and policy challenges to sustainable natural resource management and food security.

JENNIFER KIDSON

A Goleta native, Jennifer earned a B.S. in Biology from Principia College in 2012. She spent the following years in the St. Louis area working on a variety of plant-focused projects, from genetic studies of prairie grasses to Forest Stewardship Council certification of a timber harvest operation. At Bren, Jennifer is specializing in Water Resources Management. She loves the inherent complexity of water issues and has a particular interest in water supply planning. She is also passionate about effective communication between the scientific community and the public.

AMANDA SILVER-WESTRICK

CODY WILGUS

Amanda graduated with honors from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2012 with a B.A. in Geography/Environmental Studies and a minor in African Studies. As an undergrad, Amanda studied abroad in Senegal, where she conducted field research on gender inequalities in water acquisition roles and the resulting public health and social consequences. From 2012-2014, she worked for the Solar Electric Light Fund, an international development nonprofit in Washington, DC, that designs and installs solar energy projects abroad. These experiences ignited her deep interest in the intersection between water systems and energy infrastructure in the developing world. At Bren, Amanda is pursuing a specialization in Water Resources Management. After graduating, she hopes to work on projects incorporating renewable energy technologies into water purification and delivery systems.

Cody graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara in 2011 with a B.S. in Earth Science, specializing in Geohydrology. Following graduation, he spent two years working for the Santa Barbara Family YMCA developing staff teams and managing membership statistical data. He is currently studying Water Resources Management at Bren to build on his undergraduate studies and continue towards a career focused on protecting watersheds from the impacts of urban development.

Faculty Advisor

BOB WILKINSON,

Adjunct Professor,

Water Policy

Robert Wilkinson’s research and teaching is focused on water and energy policy, climate change, and issues of environmental policy. He advises government agencies, businesses, non-governmental organizations, and foundations on water policy and environmental issues. He has served on the public advisory committee for California's State Water Plans, and he represented the University of California on the Governor's Task Force on Desalination. He has advised the California Energy Commission and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on climate research, and has served as coordinator for the climate impacts assessment of the California Region for the U.S. Global Change Research Program and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The water policy course he teaches at Bren, ESM 225, focuses on how science, economics, law, and social and political factors affect the water policymaking process.

Client

SANTA BARBARA CHANNELKEEPER

For more information on Santa Barbara Channelkeeper's work and mission, please visit their website.