Polluted Skies Spark UCLA Graduate’s Passion for Environmental Engineering

Jonathan Garcia ’24, M.S. ’25, grew up in Tulare, California, where the skies were once clear and the air crisp. Today, that same city, nestled in the heart of the San Joaquin Valley, ranks consistently among the nation’s worst for air quality. 

“It’s hard to believe that it’s the same place where I grew up,” he said.

Surrounded by agriculture and dairy farms, the region faces high levels of ozone, pesticides and particle pollution, with serious health consequences. Garcia witnessed firsthand how these pollutants disproportionately affect farmworkers, and he observed asthma, lung cancer and other illnesses increasingly affecting friends and family.

In December 2022, Garcia’s 50-year-old aunt died of lung cancer. A non-smoker, she had spent two decades breathing Tulare’s air. Her illness underscored the urgency of addressing Tulare’s air quality and fueled Garcia’s drive for working toward cleaner, safer and more equitable environmental conditions. He drew on the resilience he had developed from an early age and resolved to take action.

“My first job, at just 7, was mowing lawns with my father under the Central Valley sun,” he said. That experience — along with working in dairies during high school and later as a ranch hand — instilled in him a strong work ethic and taught him that meaningful progress requires persistence and determination.

That resolve carried him to UCLA, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science with a concentration in environmental engineering in 2024, and a master’s degree this spring in civil engineering with a focus on environmental engineering. 

“It was deeply fulfilling to know that our research could shape local laws and regulations, promoting more sustainable and just agricultural practices,” said Jonathan Garcia.

Fascinated by how chemicals react and move through the environment, Garcia joined the lab of civil and environmental engineering professor Jenny Jay and worked on bacterial experiments to limit antibiotic resistance in wastewater. He later expanded that research to dairy farms in Bakersfield, California.

“It was deeply fulfilling to know that our research could shape local laws and regulations, promoting more sustainable and just agricultural practices,” Garcia said. “The combination of classroom rigor and lab work solidified my decision to pursue this field not just as a career, but as a lifelong goal.” 

For aspiring environmental engineers at UCLA aiming to land their first internships, Garcia recommends volunteering in a research lab and seeking guidance from professors. 

Garcia credits Jay, in particular, who inspired him to see engineering as more than equations. He took part in the UCLA Astin Community Engaged Scholar initiative, working with garment workers in Los Angeles who were facing wage theft and exploitative conditions. The experience has helped shape a human-centered point of view that has stayed with him.

“Engineering is often data-driven, but Astin’s taught me that behind every number is a human story,” he said. “It reinforced my belief that people should not be excluded from any equation.”

Building on the purpose he found on campus, Garcia found even greater fulfillment in industry, where projects had more direct and immediate impact. One internship took him to Kyoto, Japan, where he worked as an electrical engineer contributing to a sustainable development plan for Japan’s nearly 10,000 train stations. He said the experience reshaped his outlook entirely. 

“My internship in Japan was transformative,” he said. “It taught me intercultural communication skills that are invaluable in today’s globalized workforce.” 

That experience also led him back to his hometown in the Central Valley, where he now works at Trinity Consultants. Originally hired as an intern during his final undergraduate quarter, Garcia was promoted to a full-time associate environmental engineer within three months. Today, he is responsible for air quality permitting, dispersion modeling and hazardous waste compliance among other things. 

“Dispersion modeling, in particular, has been both challenging and rewarding,” he said. “It requires combining meteorological data, terrain characteristics, emissions estimates and modeling software to assess risks from a facility.” Garcia’s efforts help keep emissions below significant health thresholds, protecting the same communities that shaped his upbringing. “It’s deeply rewarding to give back to the community I grew up in,” he said.

Working as a consultant requires a balance of project management, technical expertise, policy knowledge and client communication — a perfect blend for Garcia, who can translate complex concepts for clients without technical backgrounds. 

Down the road, Garcia says he hopes to become both a licensed professional engineer and an environmental lawyer, combining technical and legal expertise to shape policy and effect environmental change. He remains committed to tackling air quality challenges in his hometown and beyond, turning the polluted skies of his youth into a lifelong mission for cleaner, healthier communities.