2023 FUEL cohort at ALBA with indigenous farmer, Celsa Ortega, and farmer advocate, David Mancera

Forum for Undergraduate Environmental Leadership (FUEL)

Applications for the 2025 FUEL program are closed.

The FUEL program, provided by the Woods Institute for the Environment of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, seeks to provide a real world primer for undergraduate students on critical issues of environmental concern, by opening up conversations with policymakers and professionals in careers at the forefront of solutions. The program is open to Stanford undergraduates who are sophomores, juniors and seniors, and to co-terms who are still in undergraduate status (bachelor's degree not conferred). The Woods Institute for the Environment offers the FUEL program at no cost to students.

Fall 2025 Program Details - The Sustainability of Agriculture and Dairy in California 


This year's theme is The Sustainability of Agriculture and Dairy in California, where students will have the opportunity to explore the intersection of science, technology, policy, advocacy, and environmental justice by engaging with local farmers/farm owners, dairy owners, advocates and advisors, a CA State Assemblymember, policymakers, and state agency leaders. We will explore the complexities of these topics through discussions with invited speakers on campus, and through field trips to Salinas and Point Reyes Station + Sacramento where students will get to interact with key people and perspectives in this industry. This year's theme builds upon our 2023 and 2024 programs with additions from the alternative protein space. 

Please see the FAQs below for additional information. Applications are due by 5pm PT on Friday, September 26.

Proposed Fall 2025 Schedule (all meetings will be in-person, and accepted students are expected to attend all events):


Weekly Discussions with Invited Speakers- Y2E2 101, 12pm-1:30pm
-Week 1 - Friday, October 10 - Introduction to the program; Ecological Pathways to Agricultural Resilience - Aidee Guzman (Assistant Professor, Biology, Stanford University)

-Week 2 - Friday, October 17 - Environmental and Human Health Impacts of CA's Industrial Dairy System - Gina Hervey (Sustainable and Humane Food Systems Legal fellow, Stanford Climate and Energy Policy Program (CEPP))

-Week 3 - Friday, October 24 - Water and Agriculture in CA - Felicia Marcus (former Chair of the CA State Water Resources Control Board; visiting fellow at the Woods Institute's Water in the West Center)

-Week 4 - Friday, October 31 - Local Government Perspective on Alternative Protein Innovation and Climate-Smart Agriculture in CA - Assemblymember Ash Kalra (CA Assembly District 25; Chair of the Select Committee on Alternative Protein Innovation)

Field Trips
-Week 5 - Day trip to Salinas - Friday, November 7 (~8am-6:30pm) - guided meetings with Nathan Harkleroad (Education Program Director, Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA)), local organic farm owners trained at ALBA, Eric Brennan (Research Horticulturist, US Department of Agriculture - Agricultural Research Service), the Rodriguez Brothers (Family-owned mid-scale farm operators that specialize in strawberries and other fruits/vegetables), David Mancera (CEO, Tera Farm; Principal Consultant, Mancera Consulting Group; Agricultural Member, CA State Board of Food and Agriculture), and Centro Binacional para el Desarrollo Indígena Oaxaqueño (Non-profit created by and for Indigenous communities in rural California).

-Week 6 - Overnight trip to Point Reyes Station + Sacramento - Thursday, November 13 - Friday, November 14 (depart ~7:45am on Thursday from campus and return Friday ~6:30pm) - Farm tour of Bivalve Dairy in Point Reyes Station, guided meetings with Virginia Jameson (Deputy Secretary for Climate and Working Lands, CA Department of Food and Agriculture), Josh Tooker (Chief Consultant for the CA State Assembly, Committee on Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials), Michael Claiborne (Directing Attorney, Leadership Counsel for Justice & Accountability), and Bernadette Del Chiaro (Senior Vice President, California, Environmental Working Group) and Susan Little (California Legislative Director, Environmental Working Group).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • What is the theme for the Fall 2025 FUEL program?
    • The Sustainability of Agriculture and Dairy in California. The FUEL program offers interested Stanford students a lay of the land and a primer of the challenges of environment-related public advocacy, policymaking and management. We accomplish this through in-person introductions to and conversations with many professionals for whom policy management is their vocation, and community members and advocates for whom the issues are most salient. This is not intended to be comprehensive, and we are only able to include a small set of perspectives and topics in our 6-week program.  
  • What is the structure of the program?
    • The 2025 FUEL Program will consist of 4 on-campus discussions with invited speakers (October 10, 17, 24, and 31; 12-1:30pm in Y2E2 101), a day field trip to Salinas to meet with small farm owners, farm workers, and advocates (November 7) and an overnight field trip to Point Reyes Station + Sacramento for a dairy farm tour, and to meet with policymakers, committee members, and organizers (November 13-14). In total, the program spans 6 weeks.
    • Our tentative agenda for the 2025 FUEL program is above. You can also view last year's full agenda here.
  • Who will we get to engage with in the 2025 FUEL program?
  • What dates do I need to be available to participate? Is there a remote option?
    • Students in the FUEL Program will need to commit to the following dates: October 10, 17, 24, and 31 (on-campus discussions with invited speakers to be held in Y2E2 101 from 12-1:30pm), November 7 (day trip to Salinas), and November 13-14 (overnight field trip to Point Reyes Station + Sacramento). All meetings and field trips will be in-person, and there will not be a remote option available.
  • Who is eligible to apply?
    • Stanford University Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. In addition, co-term students who are still in undergraduate status (bachelor's degree not conferred) are eligible for the FUEL program. Students from all majors are encouraged to apply.
  • How do I apply? When will I know if I have been accepted?
    • Applications weree due by 5pm PT on Friday, September 26, 2025. All applicants will be notified of their acceptance status by Thursday, October 2, 2025. The first class meeting will be on Friday, October 10, 2025.
  • Will I receive course credit for participating in the FUEL program?
    • FUEL is a non-credit, co-curricular program and students will not receive units for their participation.
  • How much does it cost?
    • The FUEL Program is provided at no cost to participants by the Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability. This includes lunches for each on-campus meeting, and transportation, lodging (for Sacramento), and food for the field trips.
  • Testimonials from previous cohorts:
    • "The FUEL program exposed me to ideas and orgs in agriculture I would've never come across myself! As someone who wants to start an agtech company in the future, I found immense value in gaining a more well-rounded perspective of farming by speaking with nonprofits/policymakers concerned with the externalities of farming practices (pesticides, subsidies, small farmer financing, etc.). The program is extremely well-organized, and the small cohort size is conducive to meaningful connections with your peers".
    • "The FUEL program introduced me to the world of environmental leadership in the policy realm: something I previously couldn't imagine myself in. I'm more confident in my ability to find a future career in environmental studies outside of biology research".
    • "FUEL was an amazing opportunity for me to learn more about this field, connect with more people working in this field as well as other interested Stanford students, and gain insight into potential career paths. It really is designed for the benefit of you and surrounding communities. Highly recommend this program, whether you are experienced or new to this subject".
    • "The FUEL Program was a great way to engage with a variety of diverse, knowledgeable stakeholders in the complex world of sustainable agriculture policy. I really enjoyed the range of speakers and topics we learned from—everything from a USDA research farm and new findings within pesticide impacts, to nuanced politics in the California House Environmental Safety and Toxic Materials Committee and local organizations' efforts to improve farm management knowledge among immigrant farmers—and the discussions I had with other students, many of whom I'd never met (and probably would never have met, considering our diverse majors) without the program. All of this was conducted in an organized, well-planned program, which included two exciting field trips to see the state of agriculture firsthand and explore all that California has to offer".
    • "The FUEL program was truly so incredible and life changing! As someone who has always had a passion for sustainability and agriculture, but has never felt clear on my career or goals, this program really opened my eyes. Not only was I able to connect with people in the industry and with incredible, like-minded people on campus, I felt like I finally got a sense of what I want to do with my life. Listening to the diverse groups of speakers, touring farms, and talking to other students, I learned about so many different ways to approach sustainable agriculture, and where I felt connected and best fit in. I couldn't recommend this program highly enough, it was so amazing and I had so much fun!!"
  • Who should I contact if I have additional questions?

Contact Information

Jen Chiu
Program Manager
jchiu24@stanford.edu

 

Related Documents

2023 FUEL Schedule
2024 FUEL Schedule
2025 FUEL Schedule