Advising Appointments

Staff Advisors

Advising is a great way for current and prospective students to learn about different majors, navigating through the major, jobs and internships, and grad school opportunities. We have dedicated staff advisors, faculty master advisors, track advisors, and peer advisors available for both current and prospective students.

The ESM major is jointly coordinated by the Department of Environmental Science & Policy (ESP) and the Department of Land, Air, & Water Resources (LAWR). Advising for the major is split by last name. ESP coordinates advising for students with last names starting with A-L and LAWR coordinates advising for students with last names starting with M-Z.

Which advisor should I see?

Staff advisors are your first stop for advising and can help you navigate the major and plan your classes, as well as offer general advice about the major. Not sure who to ask or what to ask? Start with your staff advisor.

  • Melissa Whaley (she/her) is the staff advisor for last names A-L. She is your first stop for all major related questions and prefers to be called Melissa. She is located in 2134 Wickson Hall and is doing both in person and remote appointments. You can reach her by email at mmwhaley@ucdavis.edu, by phone at 530-752-7183, or you can book an appointment online using the Advising Appointment System.
    Note for summer and fall 2025: Melissa is currently out of the office.  Therefore, please contact Lacole Brooks (below).  Note that a backup contact is Danielle Huddlestun (dchuddlestun@ucdavis.edu).
     
  • Lacole Brooks is the staff advisor for last names M-Z. She is your first stop for all major related questions. Lacole is located in 1150 Plant & Environmental Sciences (PES) and is available by appointment only. You can make an appointment online. You can also reach her by email at lbrooks@ucdavis.edu or by phone at 530-752-1603.

Lead faculty advisors are a great resource for help with picking a track if you're not sure, they can help with questions about grad school or careers after graduation, and could even help you find the right alternate major if you're not sure your current major is right for you.

  • Prof. Marissa Baskett is the lead faculty advisor for ESM last names A-L and is available by appointment. You can reach Dr. Baskett at ESM_ESP@ucdavis.edu or make an appointment online on most Wednesdays at 1:30-2:30
  • Prof. Terry Nathan is the lead faculty advisor for ESM last names M-Z. He is available by appointment only. You can book an appointment by emailing him at ESM_LAWR@ucdavis.edu .

Peer advisors are current ESM students who can provide an inside perspective on the major and the classes that are part of the major.

  • Anchita Hazarika is in the Air Quality and Climate Change tract. You can reach her at akhazarika@ucdavis.edu. Anchita is located in 1139 PES.
  • Angela de la Cruz is in the Ecology, Biodiversity, and Conservation track. You can reach her at angdelacruz@ucdavis.edu. Angela is located in 1139 PES.
  • Anya Nygaard (she/her) is in the Ecology, Biodiversity, and Conservation track. You can reach her at agmnygaard@ucdavis.edu. Anya is located in 1139 PES.
  • Isabella Rioja is in the Natural Resources tract. You can reach her at irioja@ucdavis.edu. Isabella is located in 1139 PES.
  • Vanessa Sandoval is a student in Environmental Science and Management on the Natural Resource Management track. You can reach her at esmadvising@ucdavis.edu. Vanessa is located in 2136 Wickson Hall.

Track advisors can help with course selection, study abroad planning, internship, career, and graduate school advice targeted to the subject area of your track.

How to Email ESM Advisors: Guidelines for Students

Email is among the most widely used forms of written professional communication. A well-written email provides the recipient, such as your ESM advisor, with a friendly, clear, concise and actionable message. Here we provide guidance and an example on how to write a professional email to your advisor.

A professional email consists of the following: (1) a clear subject line; (2) an appropriate salutation; (3) a concise and actionable message; and (4) an appropriate sign-off. 

The subject line is a short statement that clearly states the reason for your email message. In an email to your ESM advisor, also state your name and that you’re an ESM student. For example, a subject line for an email to your ESM advisor might look like this: Subject: Advice needed for ESM course substitution (Alfred E. Neumann, ESM, CCAQ Track)

The salutation, which is the first line of your email, should match the tone of your message and your relationship with the recipient. For example, when writing to your faculty advisor, your salutation should be: Dear Professor name here, or Dear Dr. name here. Avoid salutations like “Hey there,” “Howdy,” etc., which have been received by faculty advisors in the past. If you already have a friendly relationship with the recipient, e.g., your advisor, then “Hello,” or “Hi” is fine. 

The message, which constitutes the main body of your email, should be clear, concise and actionable.  Make sure to be specific and include relevant details.  For example, if you are asking about a substitution for a track requirement, specify your track, the requirement, and why you might need a substitution (e.g., two required classes are conflicting and you’re a graduating senior).  Be sure that your email is error-free, i.e., check for spelling and grammatical errors.

For professional emails, the sign-off might be something like: Sincerely; Regards; Thank you; Respectfully; Please let me know if you have any questions; Thank you for your consideration. For casual emails, the sign-off might be something like: Thanks! Best; Have a great day! 

EXAMPLE EMAIL

Subject: ESM Required Course not Available (Alfred E. Neuman, ESM, CCAQ Track) 

Dear Professor Einstein, 

I hope you’re enjoying your day. I am an ESM major in the Climate Change and Air Quality track. I am planning to graduate during spring quarter. I meet all the requirements for graduation, except I am still on the waitlist for PHY 7C. 

I finished PHY 1A; I’m missing PHY 1B, which is not offered this quarter. Also, I finished PHY 7A and PHY 7B. If I am unable to enroll in PHY 7C, can PHY 7A and 7B substitute for PHY 1B?

Thank you for your consideration. I’ll look forward to hearing from you. 

Sincerely,

Alfred E. Neuman
ESM Student, Senior