This fall break, while many students were traveling or staying on campus to study or binge watch their favorite Netflix show, fifteen students from Washington University spent two days in Washington DC learning about the far reaching aspects of work in sustainability, conservation, policy, and alternative energy technologies. The students who attended came from a variety of backgrounds, ranging from a sophomore, several juniors and seniors, a Master’s student and a Ph.D. candidate with majors such as Economics, Environmental Biology, Environmental Policy, Chemical Engineering, Linguistics, Mechanical Engineering, IAS, and Landscape Architecture. The itinerary included meetings with WashU alumni and other environmental professionals at the Urban Land Institute, National Academy of Sciences Engineering & Medicine, World Resources Institute, Department of Energy and the U.S. Green Building Council. Environmental Studies faculty member Beth Martin joined the road show group on Monday, reconnecting with many of her former students now actively working in environmental fields in DC.
After hours…
WashU’s Alumni & Development hosted an amazing evening networking event, Mon., Oct. 16 at Nixon Peabody LLP, an innovative international law firm, which has made a commitment to “green office” design and operations. The networking event featured a candid look at alternative energy design and implementation by Dr. Lilia Abron, who holds a Ph.D. from the University of Iowa, and a M.S. in Sanitary Engineering from Washington University. In addition to other distinguishing characteristics, Dr. Abron was the first African American to start an environmental engineering firm. In addition, Dr. Abron talked about her international work on solar installations in South Africa, integrating low-income housing redevelopment with affordable and environmentally focused designs.
Sustainability Road Shows are coordinated by the Washington University Career Center. Road Shows are one to two day trips that focus on a specific interest area within a city. Students have the opportunity to meet with organizations and learn more about the various career paths in the field. The sustainability theme is a new addition to the program offerings. Road Shows are open to all full time Washington University students.