Gavin McDonald

Gavin is a Senior Project Researcher at the Environmental Market Solutions Lab (emLab) at University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB). He grew up just outside of Boston, spending his summers at beaches throughout New England. With a strong interest in science and math, Gavin began his career as a mechanical engineer. He holds both a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Tech, along with a Master Professionnel in Integrated Manufacturing from École Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (ENSAM) in Metz, France. After three years working as a Research Engineer at the aerospace research and development company Busek, he decided to go back to school to follow his lifelong passion for coastal marine conservation. Gavin received a Master's degree from the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at UCSB. His interests lie in using science to improve fisheries management for the benefit of both conservation and the livelihoods of fishers. His work at emLab leverages bio-economic modeling, economic theory, big data, and machine learning to solve some of the most pressing problems facing the world's fisheries. Gavin is a PADI Divemaster and AAUS Scientific Diver, and is also an avid cyclist, trail runner, and backpacker.