ALUMNI

Hometown

Seattle, Washington

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What drew you to the M.S. in Sustainability Science program? 

The Sustainability Science program’s flexibility allowed me to pivot my career from the business side to the science side, which was what I was hoping to accomplish during my time in school. It also allowed me to really cater classes to my interests and career goals.

 

Program Highlights

The students and faculty are top-notch. While everyone has different backgrounds and expertise, they are all incredibly smart and passionate about climate change. I learned so much just by getting to know my cohort through conversation.

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Career Aspirations

Career-wise, I really just wanted/want to be a part of the climate solution in any way possible instead of being a bystander. The Sustainability Science program has allowed me to do that by equipping me with the education, skills, tools, and connections to do so. I’ve been able to pivot my career to a more science-based trajectory to better understand the carbon budget.

Hometown

Reno, Nevada

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What drew you to the M.S. in Sustainability Science program? 

The ability to work on a master's degree while continuing to work full time, while also taking courses from LDEO researchers who are experts in their fields and broadening my expertise in sustainability topics.

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Professional experience 

I have 7 years experience as Lab Manager & ICPMS Research Analyst in an aqueous geochemistry lab at LDEO along with 13+ years in research and commercial environmental chemistry labs.

 

Favorite Course

Environmental Sustainability Indicators: Construction and Use, with Professor Alex de Sherbinin, introduced a topic that is fairly ubiquitous (we use indicators to understand much about the world, from social science to climate change), but the amount of work and rigor that goes into developing useful indicators is a complex subject which he taught very well.

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Career Aspirations

For now, I hope to keep contributing to the important work we do here at LDEO related to arsenic and lead exposure from water and soil. Further down the road, I hope to bring my knowledge of sustainability to regulatory agencies in an effort to drive sustainable change through government.

Hometown

Dhaka, Bangladesh

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What drew you to the M.S. in Sustainability Science program? 

Some of the major factors that attracted me to the SUSC program were the cutting-edge scientific methods and tools, the application of interdisciplinary scientific research and integrative education style, and an environment that includes a network of diverse professionals.

 

Program Highlights

In addition to my classes, I joined the Resiliency Science Union of Excellence (R.E.S.C.U.E.) club at Columbia University where I met some great people and had some amazing experiences!

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Favorite Courses and Professors

SUSC PS5130 Improving Health through Environmental Measurements in Water and Soil taught by Dr. Lex van Geen.

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Career Aspirations

I aspire to be a sustainability professional. I wish to apply new technology and scientific methods to mitigate and monitor climate impacts around the world. I want to help both private and public companies implement more sustainable solutions.

Hometown

Kingston, Jamaica

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What drew you to the M.S. in Sustainability Science program? 

I am interested in human-environment interactions, how we as human beings are affecting the planet, and how we can build a sustainable future using science. The Sustainability Science program is designed to address such issues and so seemed like a good fit for me. I was also looking for a professional master’s program that would prepare me for a career in this field.

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Undergraduate Background

My undergraduate degrees were BSc in Environmental Science and Policy and BSc in Geology.

 

Favorite Course

My favorite course was Environmental Investigation and Remediation, where we looked at the major steps involved in the investigation, assessment, and remediation of contaminated sites. 

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Career Aspirations

I am interested in environmental consulting. In the future, I would also love to work with organizations doing environmental projects in developing countries. 

Hometown

Santa Monica, California

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What drew you to the M.S. in Sustainability Science program? 

I was drawn to the program because of its mission to apply science for the good of the environment and society.

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Professional experience 

I have worked in a few different fields related to environmental science and policy, ranging from local to international levels. During graduate school, I conducted research for the New York Attorney General’s Office to support the Office’s cases and investigations to protect the people and environment of New York. Additionally, I worked at Columbia Law School’s Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, which gave me the opportunity to research the impact of the Trump Administration’s environmental deregulation, from the exacerbation of climate change to attempts to block scientific publications and education.

 

Favorite Professor

I feel very lucky to have had Professor Radley Horton as my advisor while pursuing my master’s degree. He supported me in thinking creatively about how to structure my program curriculum and more broadly, in seeing the interconnectivity among environmental and social systems.

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Career Aspirations

I hope to work at the intersection of environmental science and policy to build toward a more just society and protect all people and the planet.

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