Institute of the Environment's Sustainability Scholars

One of the top priorities of the UC Davis Institute of the Environment is developing future environmental science leaders. In 2022, the Institute’s director, Isabel Montañez, created a Sustainability Scholars Program that will enable undergraduate students to work with faculty, graduate students and community partners on issues of sustainability and environmental justice.  

Montañez, long devoted to undergraduate learning and development, used a portion of her prestigious 2021 UC Davis Prize for Undergraduate Teaching and Scholarly Achievement to start the program. We’ve been growing the fund and will welcome our first cohort of Sustainability Scholars during the beginning of the 2023 winter quarter. Each scholar will be awarded between $1,500 and $2,000 and will become part of a sustainability action research team focusing on a project that addresses one or more of the Institute of the Environment’s thematic pillars.

“A unique component of an academic career is the opportunity to contribute towards expanding students’ horizons and to witness them become inspired about a study area. The Sustainability Scholars Program provides these opportunities.”

Professor Isabel Montañez

Director, Institute of the Environment

Student teams are mentored by an Environmental Fellow and other UC Davis faculty and professional researchers and one to two Earth Scholars. Together they partner with campus and community stakeholders to investigate sustainability and environmental justice issues.

The Sustainability Scholars Fund is building toward endowment. Help us reach the endowment level to support the program in perpetuity! If we are unable to reach endowment level ($50,000), your gift will be used for the current use needs of our Sustainability Scholars Program.