Applying Knowledge in Meaningful Ways
Oliver Branham-Upton ‘24 is taking what he’s learned as an Environmental Science major and using it to make a difference in the world.
During senior Oliver Branham-Upton’s time at Santa Clara, he explored the intersectionalities between art and social activism through his major in Environmental Science. He had the opportunity to gain hands-on experiences and take courses that gave him an in-depth understanding of how to address environmental injustices.
Beyond SCU's walls, he intends to put the skills and information he's acquired to use. After graduation he plans to attend Harvard’s Graduate School of Design to pursue a Master’s in Landscape Architecture. “This program appealed to me because it encourages inquiry into spatial and environmental injustices paired with art-based practices,” he says. “I feel this program will equip me to pursue landscape architecture at the intersection of land art and social activism.”
Learn more about his favorite courses, memories, and place to eat around campus!
What was your thesis project and why did you choose that topic? What impacts do you want your project to have on the SCU community and others?
One of my most meaningful experiences with an SCU project has been working on my senior thesis with Dr. Lueck and Dr. Andrews. I explore the tensions of certain campus sites and programs to engage with SCU’s colonial legacies and responsibilities on Ohlone lands. I imagine how SCU can better address those colonial responsibilities on Ohlone lands, drawing on my entanglements within these programs and sites. This autoethnographic reflection felt like the culmination of many of my thoughts, critiques, and experiences on SCU’s campus— and I am grateful for the space to write in this way while at SCU.
I am not publicizing this project yet, but I do hope that this type of reflection might encourage other people to notice ways our campus landscape tells (and does not tell) certain stories.
Which one or two courses do you believe had the most impact on you and your perspective on different topics?
Stephanie Hughes' Garbology course really blew me away as it dove into the study of our waste systems in wild detail. It also opened me up to being able to articulate and further recognize components of waste and cradle-to-grave colonialism in Brooklyn, New York, where I’m from. This course was one of the first times I recall realizing the intersectionality of both space/place-based and environmental injustices.
CJ Gabbe’s Environmental Politics and Policy course was also a profound moment of learning for me as the course concluded with us constructing our own policy memo, where we identified an issue and proposed researched solutions. This encouraged me to further consider environmental and green gentrification occurring in Brooklyn, which I had the opportunity to already research through Garbology and Chris Bacon’s ENVS 155 class. It was powerful to ground the issue in solutions that related to policy, landscape architecture, and urban planning.
What memory from SCU resonates with you and why?
I like to joke, along with friends of mine that also took Viginia Matzek’s Baja course, that we peaked our sophomore year of college. For me, the kayak-camping lab-adventure on Pericúes land was particularly beautiful as our cohort arrived there capable of understanding many dimensions of the landscape’s ecological and biological systems, flora and fauna. The magic there, I think, was epitomized by the silence I practiced—listening. Magnificent Frigatebirds displayed their charisma; Cardons towered above; sea turtles caught their breath.
What’s your favorite place to eat on or around campus?
I thoroughly enjoyed any time I spent eating (out of) the Forge Garden!