Dr. Patricia A. Holden is a Professor of Environmental Microbiology at UC Santa Barbara's Bren School of Environmental Science & Management whose extensive experience includes serving as Director of the UCSB Natural Reserve System (UC NRS) and systemwide Chair of the UC NRS. Trish holds degrees in Civil and Environmental Engineering (B.S., University of Tennessee; M.S., Purdue University; M.E., UC Berkeley) and earned her Ph.D. in Soil Microbiology from UC Berkeley, bringing over eight years of professional engineering experience to her academic career. Since joining UCSB in 1997, Dr. Holden has led interdisciplinary research at the nexus of microbiology, engineering, and environmental science, focusing on microbial processes in both natural and engineered systems. Her work encompasses a diverse array of topics, including the environmental fate of synthetic microfibers and nanoplastics, pathogen dynamics in urban water environments, natural treatment systems for stormwater runoff, and microbial interactions with engineered nanomaterials. Dr. Holden's collaborative approach integrates insights from materials science, soil ecology, and public health.