Anne Kapuscinski, Director

Core Faculty
Sustainability Science
Professor, Environmental Studies

Anne R. Kapuscinski is an interdisciplinary scholar committed to finding scientifically and socially robust solutions to a major challenge: how to perpetuate healthy aquatic ecosystems while sustaining resource uses that support human wellbeing. Her past research examined impacts of dams, fish hatcheries, aquaculture and genetic engineering on fish conservation. Her current research aims to shift aquaculture, the world’s fastest growing food sector, towards sustainability. Her team uses marine microalgae to achieve fish-free feeds, thus decouple aquaculture from ocean-caught forage fish, reduce nutrient and carbon emissions and improve food security. She also pursues ecological aquaculture strategies to close water and nutrient loops and conserve biodiversity. Anne participates actively in the science-policy interface, presently as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Union of Concerned Scientists and member of the Ocean Protection Council Science Advisory Team, and has been a scientific advisor to the U.S. Secretary of Agriculture (under three administrations), U.S. Food and Drug Administration, World Health Organization and Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN, Global Environment Facility, European Union Food Safety Agency, state of Minnesota, and on four U.S. National Academy of Science committees. She is Editor-in-Chief of the Sustainability Transitions domain of the open-access journal, Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. Her awards include a 2019 Ocean Award in Innovation, Pew Fellow in Marine Conservation, and Distinguished Service Award from the Society for Conservation Biology, among others. As Director of the Coastal Science and Policy Program, Anne guides and builds a diverse, inclusive community of students, faculty and partners to pursue scalable solutions to pressing coastal and ocean challenges.

Watch Anne describe her research here or read more about Anne and her research team at: https://casfs.ucsc.edu/research/agroecological-science/aquaculture.html and https://kapsar.sites.ucsc.edu/.

Sarah Eminhizer

Director, CSP/Coastal Climate Resilience Program and Workforce Development

Sarah Eminhizer is a California native. She is passionate about working with key actors to find innovative solutions to today’s biggest social and environmental problems and improve organizational effectiveness to enhance programs. As part of the CSP program, Sarah continues to help shape the strategic direction of the program, develops partnerships and networks, builds workforce programs, facilitate innovation work including launching and guest lecturing in the innovative course “Hacking4Oceans,” launched and manages the CSP seminar series, and enhances programing for students, faculty, and partners.

Sarah brings a breadth of experience in a range of sectors from her time working as an Associate Program Director for a nonprofit addressing coral reef adaptation potential as well as overseeing their Fiji and Indonesia conservation programs, a Director for Blue Earth Consultants (a management consulting firm focused on white water to blue water issues, innovations and strategy), and as an Environmental Planner in American Samoa. Sarah is a Board Chair of Wild Gift, a non-profit ​that connects and empowers environmental entrepreneurs through immersive wilderness experiences. Sarah holds a Master of Environmental Management from Duke University and a Bachelor of Science in Aquatic Biology from UC Santa Barbara.

Holly Rindge

Advisor & Coordinator, Coastal Science & Policy Program 

Holly Rindge is a solution-oriented program manager and communicator. Holly has helped launch new initiatives at the interface of marine science, policy, and communications for Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Sea Grant Program at the University of Southern California, and California Ocean Science Trust. Her projects draw across a spectrum of ocean and coastal issues, including climate change coastal adaptation planning, preventing ocean plastic pollution, the scientific monitoring of marine protected areas, and the unique challenges facing oceans in highly populated urban centers.

As part of the CSP program, Holly coordinates communication and outreach efforts, student services, and program administration. She earned her Master of Advanced Study in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation from Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego.

Rachel Wang

Blue Pioneers Program Assistant Director

Shiyu Rachel Wang is a strategist and a connector who is passionate about creating “ecosystems” for ocean talents and solutions to thrive. She oversees the design and the evaluation of the Blue Pioneers Accelerator Program and is dedicated to empowering emerging ocean leaders with the right tools, network, and resource. In her role, she also works to enhance the overall impact of the program on building the capacity for China’s ocean conservation field by connecting players across sectors, creating initiatives to fill gaps, advising foundations, and acting as a co-chair for the China Marine Funders Alliance. Being widely connected to funder groups and ocean NGOs and skillful in engaging various stakeholders, Rachel aims to create synergies and bring collaborative opportunities to CSP students and the Blue Pioneers.

Before joining UCSC, she worked at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation under a philanthropic partnership with the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. In this role, she managed the foundation’s China Marine Grantmaking Strategy with a portfolio of 25 grantee NGOs and research institutes, and led several initiatives including marine aquaculture and women in conservation. Rachel also brings her expertise on policy-making from her experience at NOAA’s National Fisheries Service, where she worked on marine aquaculture policy on the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Rachel holds a Master’s degree in Marine Sciences from the University of Georgia with a research focus on coastal blue carbon ecosystems and a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from the Ocean University of China. Grew up in China and living in the U.S., Rachel enjoys serving as a cross-culture bilingual bridge across countries to tackle the pressing global challenges. In her free time, she likes to try new musical instruments, go on a hike along the coast, or play with her dog-like cat at home