Environment & Sustainability

Sustainability work is happening everywhere – at the local, state, national and international level and in government, nonprofit and corporate spaces.

  • Governments at the city, state, national and international level all have opportunities. Think about which level might be of interest to you.
  • Corporations and institutions are also thinking about this issue – how they can do better, how they can impact their community, and how they can profit from changing market demands. WashU has an office of sustainability, for example – lots of organizations are devoting resources and personnel to this issue.
  • Given the above, there is a demand for consultants who can help organizations think through such things.
  • There is a lot of research and advocacy in this realm as well – some is sciency, some is legal, some is regulatory. Think about which angle might be of interest!

Net Impact also has a resource to get you thinking of the many career profiles in sustainability. Below are some organizations and ideas to get you thinking about the many possibilities.

But your first stop, if this is an area you are consider professionally, is the amazing wealth of resources, opportunities and groups that exist on campus!

Many states have climate and sustainability offices and positions – California and Hawaii, for example, are leading the way. Cities are also devoting resources to the issue. St. Louis has a Sustainability Director within the Mayor’s Office. There is less emphasis on these issues at the federal level now, but opportunities still exist:

Our alumni are happy to share their insights and experiences with you! Check out some of our panel recordings and alumni chats below to learn more about green careers from alum who are currently in them.

  • Sustainability as a Biologist, Engineer and Lawyer: Mandy Huang ’22, Matt Pollard ’15 and Reuben Siegman ’18 talk about work in climate from the science, engineering and regulatory angles.
  • McKelvey Industry Chat: Energy & Environmental Panel: Join us for a deep dive into the possibilities of engineering careers within various industries. Each session in this series includes a panel of alums and industry experts to give insight into the roles, skills, and projects in their field. They will address the trends and challenges along with your questions to help you decipher industries that align with your interests. This panel features speakers from Chevron, Ameren, Invenergy, and Universities Space Research Association/NASA Glenn Research Center.
  • Climate Justice and the Portland Clean Energy Fund With Sam Baraso, BSBA ’08 :Sam Baraso, BSBA ’08, program manager at City of Portland, shares his knowledge of the Portland Clean Energy Benefits Fund (PCEF). This event focuses on understanding PCEF, its origins, its approach, and its focus on investing in climate actions that advance racial and social justice. Learn about its inaugural request for proposals and more.
  • Community Solar at Arcadia – Joel Gamoran .: Joel Gamoran (Economics, 2007),  joined Dugan Marieb (Environment Policy and Finance, 2020) for a chat about his work managing the solar practice at Arcadia, the only nationwide tech company focused on consumer energy. (Audio only version here).
  • Environmental Consulting at Energy Solutions (Enviro Consulting) – Marissa Lerner: 2020 grads Kalen Davison (Environment Policy & English) and Jonathan Schneider (Marketing & Entrepreneurship) informational interview Marissa Lerner (Environmental Earth Science & Systems Engineering, 2019) about her position as an Energy Efficiency Associate at Energy Solutions in Oakland, CA. Energy Solutions is an employee-owned clean energy consulting firm. 
  • World Resources Institute: Molly McGregor (2013) talks with the Government and Public Policy Work Group about her time at the World Resources Institute and her master in public policy  (MPP) graduate program at UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.