Environmental Science Major Jobs and Graduate School Acceptances 2021
Inside and outside of the classroom, Dickinsonians are natural leaders.
Sara Soba
Major: environmental science
Hometown: Atlanta, Georgia
Employer: Enterprise Knowledge (EK)
Job title: technical analyst
Job Responsibilities
The technical support specialist will be part of a team working on cutting-edge projects leveraging semantic web and artificial intelligence technology to improve the use and reuse of knowledge assets. Skills learned include semantic taxonomy/ontology development, graph databases and open-source search engines, while working with an international team and impressive clients. The work will be done out of our Arlington, Va. office.
How has Dickinson prepared you for life after graduation?
Dickinson has given me the tools to engage in the material in a meaningful way - in short, I've learned how to learn. At Dickinson, I’ve learned to broaden my perception of sustainability, think holistically and communicate across disciplines. These communication skills and the ability to work with information from a variety of disciplines will be incredibly useful for entering any field I might end up pursuing.
What are you most anticipating about your career or post-graduate pursuits?
I'm most looking forward to delving deeper into an area of work. I've really appreciated the breadth of material I've learned at Dickinson, but now I'm looking forward to applying these skills to a job. At EK, I'm most excited about applications of computer science and data interpretations. I think that Dickinson has given me a solid foundation and prepared me for really digging into a subject.
What are some of the defining moments of your Dickinson experience?
Two defining moments for me are my summer research assistantship with Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies Maggie Douglas and working with Campus Recreation as an outdoor education coordinator. The research experience gave me a chance to build a meaningful connection with a faculty member and find that I enjoyed working with data and doing computer coding. The outdoor education coordinator position helped me grow immensely as a person, giving me the chance to work independently to design and carry out my own ideas to provide incoming first years a fun and supportive introduction to Dickinson. From these two positions, I gained so much confidence in my own capabilities.
Olivia Spildooren
Major: environmental science
Hometown: Flemington, New Jersey
Employer: The Watershed Institute
Job title: river friendly coordinator
Job Responsibilities
I will assist residents, schools, businesses and golf courses in getting river friendly certified. To achieve this certification, individuals or organizations must adopt stewardship actions that conserve water and restore habitat for wildlife. I will also educate the public about environmental stewardship through a variety of outreach events or documents.
How has Dickinson prepared you for life after graduation?
I think the most important thing Dickinson did to prepare me for life after graduation was to teach me to approach questions, challenges or problems through a multi-disciplinary lens. In addition, it gave me a deeper understanding of the complex nature of sustainability which I will remember in my future careers and in life in general.
What are you most anticipating about your career or post-graduate pursuits?
I am excited to bring the knowledge, skills and experiences I have gained over my four years at Dickinson to start tackling current issues.
What are some of the defining moments of your Dickinson experience?
My Dickinson experience was defined by my two years of work at the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring and by the many professors or faculty who supported my academic journey.
Internship Experience
I volunteered at The Watershed Institute during the summer of 2020. During this time, I performed reforestation area maintenance (invasive species removal, watering, planting and seed collection/propagation). In addition, I helped to maintain green infrastructure including a green roof and three rain gardens (invasive species removal and watering). Finally, I initiated an independent project where I used ArcGIS to create a story map about green infrastructure in the Pennington, Hopewell, Princeton area that is published on the Watershed Institute’s Green Infrastructure webpage called ‘Exploring Green Infrastructure’.
Jordan Haber
Majors: biology, environmental science
Hometown: Short Hills, New Jersey
Employer: New Jersey Forest Service
Job title: forest pathologist
Job Responsibilities
Protect New Jersey forests and flora from pathogens.
What are you most anticipating about your career or post-graduate pursuits?
Exploring new and different career opportunities, gaining new experiences, furthering my education, becoming self-sufficient and meeting new people along the way.
What are some of the defining moments of your Dickinson experience?
Started Ornithology Club, had some great field experiences in lab and was a member of Dickinson varsity tennis team.
Internship Experience
- Endangered Species Coalition (2020)-Led grassroot campaign efforts to encourage Pennsylvania state legislators to pass legislation that would establish a state-wide system of wildlife corridors. Helped raise awareness of the impacts of habitat fragmentation on biodiversity and climate through education and community-based approaches.
- Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring (ALLARM)-Worked with communities within the Chesapeake Bay Watershed to raise awareness of water contamination and conducted in depth water chemistry tests from samples throughout the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.
- Cora Hartshorn Arboretum-Preserved the historic grounds of the Cora Hartshorn Arboretum by partaking in daily projects such as understory restoration, erosion prevention, trail maintenance, meadow restoration, and invasive species removal. Restored native plant populations via grafting, transplants, and seed stratification techniques.
Sara Burke
Major: environmental science
Hometown: Hershey, Pennsylvania
Graduate School: Temple University
Field of study: epidemiology
How has Dickinson prepared you for life after graduation?
Dickinson has given me countless opportunities to excel in and outside the classroom. I believe that being a student at Dickinson has prepared me with the tools to become a well-rounded individual who has the ability to apply critical analysis to solve issues within our society.
What are you most anticipating about your career or post-graduate pursuits?
I am very excited for graduate school and to learn more about epidemiology and public health issues in our country and across the globe.
What are some of the defining moments of your Dickinson experience?
One of my most defining moments of my Dickinson experience was taking BIO 132 with Assocaite Professor of Biology David Kushner. After that class, I knew that I wanted to pursue a career in public health and better understand how diseases affect communities.
Internship Experience
I interned at the Quittapahilla Watershed Association as a stream analyst the summer of 2019. I also completed an AmeriCorps Fellowship the summer of 2020.
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Published April 30, 2021