Becca Fenwick

Becca Fenwick Email and Phone Number

Director and Co Founder of the CITRIS Initiative on Drone Education and Research @ University of California, Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA, US
Becca Fenwick's Location
Santa Cruz, California, United States, United States
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Becca Fenwick personal email

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About Becca Fenwick

Creating and envisioning the future of environmental information and training using a variety of drones as sensor platforms. Building a comprehensive program to meet and support the changing technological and workforce development needs of academic research and the drone industry. Acting as the nexus between the academic realm, information technology, development/funding, public outreach, supporting (environmental) scientific research, abiding by FAIR data management principles developing public data portals, and making lasting change for young people in their educational journies. While facilitating a diverse and inclusive working environment for environmental field research and monitoring, I envision strategy, act as an organizer, program builder, implementation expert, translator, and fit all the Rubik's cube pieces together. Weaving together related focus areas; environmental sciences, weather stations, drone RGB and multispectral surveys, cutting edge networked environmental sensing, information technology, etc. into a comprehensive program requires a broad understanding and ability to translate between focus areas. Running a new research station, a new research institute, or developing a brand new drone education and research program requires a grand vision of what could be, the ability to design the strategy to get there, creativity and innately practical nature to implement it, along with great communication, emotional intelligence, and problem-solving skills. The ability to bring people together with a common goal and create a welcoming, diverse, inclusive, and efficient work environment is also vital to this process. All of my recent projects have been small in numbers of staff, requiring an agile and active project management style that is easily adaptable to an individual or team environment. I love the process of envisioning new projects, designing and defining outcomes, identifying the path(s) to success, and achieving those goals.If you’d like to talk environmental IT, monitoring, drones, scientific project management, or learn more about what we are doing feel free to get in touch - fenwick.becca@gmail.com

Becca Fenwick's Current Company Details
University of California, Santa Cruz

University Of California, Santa Cruz

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Director and Co Founder of the CITRIS Initiative on Drone Education and Research
Santa Cruz, CA, US
Becca Fenwick Work Experience Details
  • University Of California, Santa Cruz
    Director And Co Founder Of The Citris Initiative On Drone Education And Research
    University Of California, Santa Cruz
    Santa Cruz, Ca, Us
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  • University Of California, Santa Cruz
    Director And Co Founder Of The Citris Initiative On Drone Education And Research
    University Of California, Santa Cruz Sep 2020 - Present
    At UC Santa Cruz I am developing a new program, the CITRIS Initiative for Drone Education and Research (CIDER). This program brings together diverse students, researchers, and industry partners from many sectors to fuel research and innovation and develop a diverse drone workforce. CIDER is the first ever UC undergraduate drone academic training program. Students benefit from career-enhancing experiential learning opportunities, hands-on field research, flight time, FAA licensure, and a program focus on supporting under-represented students. Faculty gain access to a licensed student workforce, plus access to program-maintained drone equipment for research support, as well as targeted facilitation of novel collaborations. A stable funding model is currently being developed that will be a combination of university support, external contracts and grants (e.g. State Parks, NSF, DARPA and PG&E), philanthropic, and industry support.
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  • California Heartbeat Initiative - Freshwater Uc Nrs
    Lead Drone Pilot
    California Heartbeat Initiative - Freshwater Uc Nrs Jan 2018 - Nov 2021
    University Of California Natural Reserve System
    Part of the California Heartbeat Initiative - Freshwater research and monitoring program uses Enterprise-level drones to survey and monitor focus areas within the target reserves. Drone surveys are collected on ten+ reserves on a quarterly basis, each survey lasts around 4 days on average. I have been a pilot for this program since November 2018, and have been the lead pilot since 2019 (500-600hrs flight time). I oversee the pilot team of 4 people making sure that we are in compliance with FAA regulations, meet UC, and other agencies' drone regulations. I coordinate all field campaigns, flight planning, permissions, and reporting, data collection, processing, and management. I also spend about 50% of my time in the field performing these surveys. We use the following drones to accomplish a variety of tasks in a wide range of environments: DJI Mavic 2, DVI Phantom, DJI Inspire, DJI Matrice 100, DJI Matrice 210 V2 RTK, SenseFly eBeeX, and use the following cameras: DJI Zenmuse X3, DJI Zenmuse X5, DJI Zenmuse X7, Micasense Sequoia, Micasence Rededge, Micasense MX, and Micasense Altum. Depending on the drone, camera, and target data we use a variety of flight planning and control apps: DJI Go, DJI Go 4, Litchi, Drone Deploy, DJI Pilot, Pix4D Capture. Data is processed and analyzed using Pix4D and ArcGIS, data products are made available through an online ArcGIS data portal. As needed I troubleshoot and perform maintenance on the equipment, coordinating with suppliers when more in-depth repairs are needed. Training and mentoring students and new pilots is a key part of this position, I attended the UC Ag and Natural Resources Drone Camp in 2018, and have been an instructor with them since 2019. I also work directly with UCSC graduate students, training them to fly drones, acquire, and process data.
  • California Heartbeat Initiative - Freshwater Uc Nrs
    Co Pi, Program Director
    California Heartbeat Initiative - Freshwater Uc Nrs Nov 2017 - Nov 2021
    Ucsc, Ucb, & Ucop
    The University of California Natural Reserve System received a five year $2.19 million grant from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation in 2017 to monitor the pulse of water through state ecosystems and inform predictions about water resources in the future. The California Heartbeat Initiative-Freshwater (CHI-Freshwater) links plant responses to environmental conditions at a landscape scale. After the fires of August 2020 around the San Francisco bay area this program was extended and expanded to include a rapid post-fire assessment of the landscape and a longer-term assessment of the landscape recovery and changes.The initiative studies water in habitats with different hydrologic balances, from northern conifer forests to southern deserts, and from the coasts to the mountains across protected lands in the UC Natural Reserve System (NRS). CHI-Freshwater applies next-generation drone technology along with wireless environmental sensors to ecological questions. A standard toolkit consisting of different wireless networked environmental sensors below ground and across the landscape, paired with survey drones equipped with multispectral cameras has been deployed across the state. This information is integrated with other existing remote sensing data (planes and satellites) to produce an integrated scalable understanding of water within the landscapes. By collecting this suite of information across different geographic locations, habitat types, and seasons, the project tracks the hydrological status of wildlands in great detail, and inform predictions about the future of our water.As a CoPI and the Program Coordinator, I manage the 4 yr $2.18M project budget split across three UC campuses (UCOP, UCSC, UCB). This includes all internal (campus specific) and external reporting (funding agency), HR duties (hiring, termination, reviews), purchasing, travel, and account management. I also coordinate meetings, team communications, fieldwork logistics, and data management.
  • University Of California Natural Reserve System
    Director Of Environmental Information And Technology
    University Of California Natural Reserve System Aug 2015 - Jul 2021
    The UC Natural Reserve System consists of 41 reserves and remote field stations throughout the state of California and is the largest network of research reserves in the world. As Director of Information and Environmental Technology, I am responsible for developing and supporting each reserve's IT infrastructure, creating and institutionalizing a network of environmental sensors, creating an online data portal for data dissemination and exploration, leading the development of our online interface and database that captures reserve use, management, and metrics, and supporting the wide variation in research activites. I manage the staff and budget for these operations across four UC campuses (UCOP, UCR, UCSC, UCB).My team consists of 8 people at various UC campuses, each has their own areas of expertise; network support, programmers, environmental data database design and management, weather stations and wireless sensor networks. We collect and manage statewide use metrics for the 41 reserves, allowing a unique perspective into the work that happens in those locations. This integrated reserve use and research management online tool (RAMS) is now in version 2.5, and has been in use across the NRS since 1998.With philanthropic funding from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, we have expanded the environmental monitoring network to include water resources in the landscape and ecosystem using wireless sensor networks and multispectral drone surveys. We have brought in a total of $2.1M for equipment and infrastructure in the last 7 yrs from foundations, NSF, and once off UCOP funding. We are in the process of envisioning what the Environmental IT Program should include for the next 10 years, the scope of the environmental monitoring program, research support and data.
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  • University Of California Natural Reserve System
    Chair Of It
    University Of California Natural Reserve System Sep 2007 - Jul 2015
    Starting in 2007 as Chair of IT, I helped implement the Climate Monitoring Network, provided oversight and guidance for the developing internet connectivity at the reserves, and increased our team by 150% to meet the increasing needs of the reserve system. The Climate Monitoring Network consists of 30 identical Campbell weather stations, measuring standard meteorological data, soil temperature and water content, leaf wetness, and other sensors unique to individual sites. The data is pulled into our database and portal hosted by UC Berkeley, where it is made available for free to all who are interested in it. We undertook a 4 year part time redesign of our inhouse reservation and management system, translating our FileMaker Pro database into a more transparent and efficient MySql database, implemented a new lasso interface and redesigned the gui user interface and user experience from the ground up. Our new system gave greater flexibility to the users and reserve managers to access their information and streamlined the process of applying to use a reserve. It allowed us to track our users in greater detail, providing use metrics documenting the ever increasing diversity of use of the reserve system. When I made the transition from Director of SNRS to ISEECI Research Program Director, I was appointed to be the first Director of IT for the UC Natural Reserve System. This transition enabled me to continue my work with the UC Natural Reserve System IT.
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  • Iseeci
    Research Program Director
    Iseeci Aug 2015 - Dec 2017
    University Of California, Santa Cruz
    Institute for the Study of Ecological and Evolutionary Climate Impacts (ISEECI), brought together researchers from all UC campuses to assesses the ecosystem-wide impacts of climate change across California; linking plant, animal, and microbial studies from the oceans to the mountain tops, leveraging the UC Natural Reserve System as a biologically and geographically diverse natural laboratory in which to study the effects of climate change on California ecosystems with major implications for the state’s citizens. In 2015 this project received initial UC Presidential Catalyst funding ($1.9M) for 4 years and I was brought on to manage and develop the institute eight months later. As Research Program Director I was responsible for • implementation the overarching vision and creating the fine details of institutional vision • development of funding strategies • coordinating and facilitating collaborative research projects with faculty across all 9 UC campuses • faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students support• interfacing and collaborating with the UC Natural Reserve System• hosting workshops and meetings for groups of affiliated researchers• create an online research data repository and discovery interface• all administrative aspects Acting as the bridge between faculty, students, and non academics I pulled all the pieces together and make sure that the projects reach the goals and were communicated to those outside academia.
  • The Inscape Project
    Co-Founder
    The Inscape Project Jul 2013 - Dec 2015
    Wawona, Ca
    At the Sierra Nevada Research Stations one of my goals was to broaden the scope of use of the research station, and an obvious place to do so was in bringing together Art and Science. From this burgeoning idea and in collaboration with Scott Carroll, Inscape was born. The Incubator for Science Collaboration with Arts, People and the Environment brings together artists and scientists and through the viral medium of artistic engagement, communicating science to the public. The goal of the program is to bring the experience of the natural world and and scientific information to people who have become separated from it. Allowing them to experience the natural world and science through the eyes and enthusiasm of the artist brings a level of emotional connection and understanding to most people. This is increasingly more important in this age of Climate Change, Nature Deficit Disorder, and of increasing screen time for one and all. We had a successful pilot project between the Ilana Halperin, artist in residence at the Exploratorium, and Greg Stock, geologist for Yosemite National Park. UC Merced SNRS advisory committee fully supports the phase 2 launch and we are currently awaiting funding.
  • University Of California, Merced, Natural Reserve System
    Director, Sierra Nevada Research Stations, Yosemite And Sequoia Kings Canyon, Uc Nrs
    University Of California, Merced, Natural Reserve System May 2012 - Jul 2015
    Yosemite National Park, Ca & Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park, Ca
    As Director of the Sierra Nevada Research Station, I was responsible for developing the field stations in all aspects, from partnership and program building to diversifying the research portfolio, increasing use of the stations, and managing large maintenance programs. The SNRS is superbly positioned to deepen the partnerships between UC Merced, UC Natural Reserve System, Yosemite National Park, Sequoia-Kings Canyon National Park, and the USGS and USFS along with the local schools, bringing expertise together and facilitating those lightbulb moments. People from all over the country and internationally used the stations as a base of operations while in the parks. I oversaw the annual budget ($400k), supervised staff, and managed extensive facility maintenance and repair. During my three year tenure at SNRS, I increased the number of people using the station by 70% and increased the revenue by 150%. These increases were due to a widening portfolio of types of use; undergraduate research training programs (NSF REU), K-12 education programs, various academic conferences, and training courses in addition to supporting a vibrant research program. Seeing people come from a diverse set of backgrounds and be united by a love of nature and the outdoor experience was amazing.
  • University Of California, Riverside, Natural Reserve System
    Director, James San Jacinto Mountains Reserve, Uc Nrs
    University Of California, Riverside, Natural Reserve System Sep 2007 - May 2012
    Idyllwild, Ca
    As the Director of the James Reserve, I was tasked with managing 2 properties in the San Jacinto Mountains in support of research, teaching, and outreach. I was in charge of developing and managing the budget for the reserve (~$200k), managing the research and teaching use, and improving the facilities of the reserve, all with a staff of two (including myself!). During my 5 years there I tripled the K-12 use of the reserve and increased the capacity by 250% by adding three residential cabins and an additional classroom. Through this process, I learned more about forestry, plumbing, and electrical work than I expected, and this hands-on training has served me well.

Becca Fenwick Skills

Project Management Climate Change Management Leadership Environmental Awareness Networking Research Microsoft Office Microsoft Excel

Becca Fenwick Education Details

Frequently Asked Questions about Becca Fenwick

What company does Becca Fenwick work for?

Becca Fenwick works for University Of California, Santa Cruz

What is Becca Fenwick's role at the current company?

Becca Fenwick's current role is Director and Co Founder of the CITRIS Initiative on Drone Education and Research.

What is Becca Fenwick's email address?

Becca Fenwick's email address is fe****@****ail.com

What is Becca Fenwick's direct phone number?

Becca Fenwick's direct phone number is (831) 459*****

What schools did Becca Fenwick attend?

Becca Fenwick attended Scripps Institution Of Oceanography, University Of California, San Diego, University Of Birmingham, University Of Birmingham.

What skills is Becca Fenwick known for?

Becca Fenwick has skills like Project Management, Climate Change, Management, Leadership, Environmental Awareness, Networking, Research, Microsoft Office, Microsoft Excel.

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