austin park

Austin Park

2017 Program Director

Sustainability Action Research

As a student, researcher, employee, and activist, Austin Park extends his passion for climate action through all areas of his life. He is in his fourth year as a civil and environmental engineer, and he plans to study energy-based solutions to climate change in graduate school next year. In addition to co-directing the 2017 Sustainability Action Research Teams, Austin works for the UCLA Office of Sustainability as a Carbon Neutrality Fellow. In this capacity, he develops engagement efforts for the Carbon Neutrality Initiative, assists UCLA’s carbon neutrality planning, and contributes to UC system-wide research. Austin has worked as an energy efficiency engineer for Lawrence Berkeley National Lab and as a data analyst for the California Air Resources Board. He co-led the 2016 Sustainability Action Research Team, which recently secured an $18,000 grant to introduce stormwater capture infrastructure at UCLA. In May of 2015, Austin represented the United States and UCLA at Make It Work, an international simulation of COP21. At the negotiations, he successfully spearheaded the effort to establish an international carbon market. He is a Regents Scholar, Alumni Scholar, and received the first-ever UCLA Student Sustainability Leadership Award. Austin loves to surf and play piano, and he never misses a chance to jump in the ocean or go on a hike.