Environmentally Minded Students Make a Difference

A  s an undergraduate in the Environmental Sciences (ESYS) senior internship program, Brandilyn Beu admits that it gave her the courage and confidence she needed to work at the Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve (TRNERR). “The Environmental Systems internship program allowed me to get hands-on experience in my field. I learned that I love lab work.”

Brandilyn Beu Brandilyn Beu: “The Environmental Systems internship program allowed me to get hands-on experience in my field. I learned that I love lab work.”

In the students’ senior year, a required internship project prepares them with the eco-career skills needed to be successful in a changing marketplace. Beu's research project involved testing the effects of salinity and inundation on native plants at the TRNERR. She learned a lot about estuary management, especially as TRNERR is unique, because it has an international border running through the middle. “I was really interested in studying environmental politics, and I did learn a lot about how complicated environmental management can be! It was very rewarding to actually feel I was contributing something valuable, in particular, more information about experimental design at the estuary,” explains Beu.

As Beu is thinking about her job prospects for the future, the program enabled her to discover what curriculum interested her. With a growing demand in the industry sector for professional skills in sustainability, UC San Diego’s Environmental Systems (ESYS) graduates have a solid lead in their job and career choices as they ride out the storm in today’s economy.

“The current demand has certainly opened more doors. I feel as though more companies are hiring environmental consultants, more research needs to be done, and more "green" companies are starting up,” explains Beu. “The emphasis and exposure sure seems to be great for my fellow ESYS majors and my future!”

“You could not ask for better timing. The job market for environmental careers – or what some refer to as the new “green job market" – is really expanding right now,” explains Dr. Jane Teranes, director of the Environmental Systems program. “ESYS graduates are well positioned with the training, connections and confidence to land exciting and fulfilling jobs right after graduation.

Our graduates are employed by federal, state and local governments; some are working in consulting firms or in green businesses; many graduates find positions in universities and research organizations; still others are involved in nonprofit organizations that focus on education and outreach.”

“ESYS graduates are well positioned with the training, connections and confidence to land exciting and fulfilling jobs right after graduation."

Carlie Peck, who worked as an outreach coordinator at the Solana Center for Environmental Innovation.

There has been a notable increase in enrollments in the UCSD Environmental Systems Program; more students are arriving at UCSD as declared ESYS majors or declaring it early in their academic career. The major has grown steadily since its inception in 2000 and celebrated its 100th graduate in 2007. At least 62% of ESYS graduates go on to environmental careers in government, environmental consulting/engineering firms, and outreach organizations. About 26% of the students pursue additional degrees including Masters of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, professional degrees (law, medicine) or environmental research based Ph.D. programs.

“The most gratifying aspect of the program is gauging its success by tracking students after graduation,” says Dr. Teranes. “We have an active and successful network of ESYS graduates who are strongly committed to the program and its training, many who are contributing to environmental projects and organizations in both the public and private industry in San Diego County.”

Rachel Basore, an ESYS 2005 graduate, is working as an Environmental Programming Assistant for the Regional Council of Rural Counties (RCRC) in their Environmental Services division in Sacramento. She helps plan and implement recycling and waste reduction programs for the 22 member counties of the RCRC and also works with lobbyists on behalf of rural areas that are often underrepresented in California's urban-focused legislature.

Nicole Olmsted ’07 works for the Environmental Services Department for the Naval Facilities-Southwest Division. The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Environmental Program provides high quality, timely, cost-effective and efficient environmental support to the Navy, the Marine Corps, and other clients.

The objective of the multidisciplinary program is to provide students with a solid foundation and rigorous training in the natural sciences and then challenge them to address complicated interdisciplinary environmental problems that also consider policy and economics. “To a large extent the future health of our planet is in the hands of policy-makers. It’s critical that our students have an appreciation for both the challenges of developing good policies and also a very deep knowledge of the science that should be informing our decisions,” explains Teranes.

"To a large extent the future health of our planet is in the hands of policy-makers. It’s critical that our students have an appreciation for both the challenges of developing good policies and also a very deep knowledge of the science that should be informing our decisions.”

“Our students are naturally engaged in the environmental challenges that will affect their future and are motivated by the relevance and the challenges of green careers,” states Teranes. “It’s rewarding to know that our graduates are energized about the job and education opportunities available to them after graduation. I love to hear from ESYS graduates as they describe their positions and responsibilities with enthusiasm, pride and, sometimes, genuine astonishment as to how far they have come."