Celebrating 50 years of Environmental Studies at OHIO: Alumni share insights, inspiration

Audience members listen to the panel discussion at the Environmental Studies 50th Anniversary event.

The Environmental Studies (ES) program at 51��’s George Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Service recently kicked off the celebration of its 50th anniversary with an alumni panel and luncheon on Homecoming Friday.

Despite the rainy afternoon, The Ridges auditorium welcomed more than 100 alumni, students and faculty to reflect on the program’s legacy.

Three ES program alumni joined the stage alongside moderator Professor Geoff Dabelko, who asked questions about their life at OHIO, their current work, and advice for current students. All three panelists highlighted the program's interdisciplinary nature and encouraged current students to take advantage of the variety of opportunities.

The first panelist, Rachel Martin, works as a researcher at the Conservation X Labs in Washington, D.C. She graduated in 2020 from OHIO’s Honors Tutorial College ES program.

“The real value is the interdisciplinary nature of the ES program,” Martin said. At OHIO, her studies traversed across departments. She took courses in environmental journalism, political ecology and gender studies, all of which taught her to look at problems from a new perspective.

“When I enter a room with other innovators, [I] see their perspective towards solving the problem and find a common ground between them all,” Martin said. “That's super valuable when you're trying to solve these complex interdisciplinary challenges.”

Encouraging OHIO students to diversify their skills, experiences

Sharing similar sentiments, the next panelist, Andreana Madera Martorell, graduated with an M.S. in Environmental Studies in 2020. She currently works as a drinking water technical officer at the Environmental Protection Agency.

“It's important to diversify your skills because you most likely won't end up getting a job that does one thing,” Madera Martorell said. “I am a geologist and the thing I do the least is geology.”

She encouraged current students to take advantage of OHIO’s versatility, which let her build on skills outside of her typical studies.

“Go outside of your department, meet other people and learn about their work,” Madera Martorell said. “Mingle with your colleagues from your cohort, and volunteer on their thesis.”

Finally, the last panelist, Ben McCament, is a 2004 graduate of the M.S. Environmental Studies program. Currently, he is chief of the Division of Mineral Resources Management at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).

He spent his time at OHIO deeply involved in a variety of hands-on environmental work across Southeast Ohio, garnering skills that he carries with him to this day.

“You’re going to lose some battles, but you have to move forward,” McCament said. To do this, he encouraged students to “be able to work with different people with different backgrounds and experiences.”

He credited the ES program’s interdisciplinary approach with teaching him the critical importance of understanding different perspectives and disciplines. However, he recognized that what you do is not as important as your character.

“I used to think it was experience,” McCament said when asked what makes a prospective employee stick out. “But experience is much less important than perseverance, be willing to keep trying.”

Looking ahead to the next 50 years

Today, the Environmental Studies program houses about 200 students across four tracks, including an on-campus master’s program, an undergraduate certificate and an Honors Tutorial College track, along with an online master's degree in Sustainability, Security and Resilience.

According to Program Director Dr. Natalie Kruse Daniels, every ES student’s mission is the same: to develop a deep understanding of science and its integration with society and policy.

“What’s important about environmental studies is the interaction between people and the planet,” Kruse Daniels explained in an interview prior to the event. “That’s where we sit. We’re thinking about practical, real solutions with stakeholders, but also how people integrate with these scientific ideas.”

Graduates of the ES program are equipped to handle real world problems and come up with real world solutions, thanks to the interdisciplinary nature of the program.

“If you look at the alumni that have come through this program in the last 50 years, it's clear that those 50 years have been impactful,” Kruse Daniels said. “And there is so much opportunity ahead.”

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