Environmental Studies Alumni

As the Program on the Environment continues to grow, our base of alumni is widening. Our Environmental Studies graduates are working with city and county governments, federal agencies, private consulting firms, and nonprofit organizations. A growing number are pursuing graduate studies in public affairs, natural resource management, environmental and public health, and education, among other fields.

Whether educating youth, conducting research, or drafting environmental policy, our alumni are putting their academic credentials and experience to work to help build and support more sustainable communities. To learn more about the work they are doing, please see our alumni profiles.

PoE alumni are the environmental innovators and leaders of the future and play a vital role in helping PoE fulfill its mission to foster and promote interdisciplinary environmental education.

Alumni News and Events

Read the November 2007 edition of Alumni Link (pdf, 129 KB) - produced by the Program on the Environment's Environmental Studies Alumni Advisory Board.

Environmental Studies Alumni Census/Survey

Dear Alumni - Please take a moment to fill out the following survey. Your feedback will help us build and strengthen the PoE Environmental Studies Alumni community.

Click here to go to survey

Previous Alumni Link Newsletters:

April 2007 Alumni Link (pdf, 128 KB)
December 2006 Alumni Link (pdf, 28 KB)
July 2006 Alumni Link (pdf, 135 KB)

The Program on the Environment and its Alumni Advisory Board collaborate each year to host regular events to bring together PoE alumni and to connect alumni with current Environmental Studies students. Below are upcoming events for PoE alumni. For a list of all PoE events and environmental events both on and off campus, visit PoE's online calendar of events.

2007 Alumni Events

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Program on the Environment Environmental Studies Alumni Advisory Board

The Program on the Environment Environmental Studies Alumni Advisory Board formed in early 2006 to address the need for alumni tracking, fellowship opportunities, and continued involvement with PoE. Board members are Environmental Studies alumni who are appointed to a one-year term and work cooperatively with PoE staff, directors, faculty, and other alumni. Many board members were involved with the Alumni Partnership Team, which began in 2005 to discuss opportunities for the growing number of PoE alumni. The board aims to assist PoE in tracking employment and activities of PoE alumni, planning educational and social events, mentoring current Environmental Studies students and recent graduates, providing opportunities for internships to PoE students, and building community partnerships and recognition. To see a list of previous board membership, click here.

2007-2008 Board members

Jackie White, Board Chair, Environmental Steward, Seattle Art Museum

Shaina Gates, Project Assistant, Cascadia Consulting Group

Marisa Lown, Paralegal / Office Manager, Washington Forest Law Center

Linda Lyshall, MPA (Returning Member), Regional Liaison, Puget Sound
Partnership, Office of the Governor

Eric Mendenhall, Builder Services Manager, Ticor Title

Matthew Roarty, Training Coordinator, Benchmark Electronics

Bethany Van Etten, Graduate Student, UW Evans School of Public Affairs,
Master of Public Affairs Program

Ariana Taylor-Stanley (New Student Member), Major: Environmental Studies

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Alumni Board Meeting Minutes:

2006 (pdf files) - February, March, April, May, June, July

2007 (pdf files) - July, August, September, October , November

Join the PoE Alumni Listserve
The PoE Alumni listserve provides weekly career updates and announcements for alumni events and opportunities.
Email poealum@u .washington.edu or call 206.616.1208 to subscribe.

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Support Current PoE Students
The Program on the Environment invites our alumni to contribute to the ongoing excellence of the program. Alumni can support current Environmental Studies students by:

Hosting a PoE student intern at your organization or company
Participating in alumni panels and career fairs
Donate to PoE and purchase PoE merchandise

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Additional Alumni Resources
UW Alumni Association
Center for Career Services Alumni Services page
Husky Career Advantage Career Connections page
UW Continuing Education
MyUW.net Alumni Service

Profiles

To view a list of positions held by PoE alumni click here (.pdf file). If you would like your profile featured on the PoE website, please email a brief description of what you are currently doing to poealum@u.washington.edu. See below for examples of typical profiles.

	David Aigner Class of 1999 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation; Minor in Forest Management Graduate Degree (2007): Masters in Urban Planning, Hunter College David is currently employed at the New York City Department of City Planning, Transportation Division as a City Planner. He conducts urban transportation research studies, with particular focus on enhancing pedestrian and bicycle uses throughout the five boroughs. David completed his Master's degree in Urban Planning at Hunter College in Spring 2007 and remains active with local sustainability-related causes such as the New York chapter of the US Green Building Council. He plans to achieve LEED accreditation and will continue to pursue work supporting urban sustainability. He currently lives in Brooklyn.
	Kirsten Anderson Class of 2005 Degrees: Environmental Studies: International Perspectives; Political Science Former PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member Kirsten is currently a Martin Luther King AmeriCorps*VISTA member serving at the Seattle Parks Foundation. She works with local community groups to improve and expand green space while working under an anti-racism framework. Kirsten also volunteers at Wonderland Developmental Center in Shoreline raising funds for young children with developmental disabilities. In her free time, Kirsten enjoys Seattle's many biking and running trails.
	Peter Canepa Class of 2003 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Population & Health, Minor in Geography Peter is a graduate student at the Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara, specializing in corporate environmental management. Peter’s graduate research is focused on developing product stewardship plans for small/medium businesses across various sectors by applying green supply chain management practices and quantitative life-cycle assessment. During the summer of 2007 Peter received an appointment to the Student Career Experience Program with the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, DC. After graduation, he hopes to return to the Pacific Northwest to work in the EPA’s regional office in Seattle.
	Ara Clark Class of 2005 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Ecology and Conservation, Minor in Landscape Studies Ara is currently a Project Administrator in the Community Development business group at ESA Adolfson. She provides project accounting, budgeting, contract administration and coordination for various federal, state, local, and private environmental projects. Ara was formerly a Project Administrator for SMART Association, a non-profit business association promoting occupational health and safety. She currently lives in Seattle with her husband and her dog.
	Shaina Gates Class of 2004 Degree: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member Shaina is a consultant at Cascadia Consulting Group, where she is part of the education and outreach team. She assists with King County's Master Recycler Composter training and coordinates the efforts of the more than 200 volunteers who have completed the training. She also provides support to Seattle's Green Gardening program, which provides education to nurseries and landscapers, the Resource Venture program, a program that provides assistance to local businesses striving to be more sustainable, and others.
	Arece Hampton Class of 2002 Degree: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation Former PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member Arece is currently working for Seattle Public Utilities in the Resource Conservation division. Specifically he is a Residential Conservation Program Manger for the City of Seattle, dealing with water conservation programs for commercial businesses, single-family residences, and wholesale customers (the cities that Seattle sells water to). Arece completed his Capstone project with Seattle Public Utilities. For Arece, this only proves that the leap from a Capstone experience to a career can be just a mere turn!
	Mark Hansen Class of 2006 Degree: Environmental Studies: Population & Health; Minor in Geography Mark is a Field Representative for Ecos Consulting, a company which works with utility companies on energy conservation projects throughout the western United States. As one of only 3 Field Representatives in Washington State, he works with over 70 "Energy Star" retailers for the Puget Sound Energy coupon distribution program, aimed at making it more appealing to the public to buy "Energy Star" compact fluorescent light bulbs and fixtures. He works with PSE to help improve the project as well as give feedback on what is going on in the field.
	Leila Katirayi Class of 2005 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation; Comparative History of Ideas (CHID); International Studies Leila is currently attending graduate school in Sweden studying International Development & Management. Her focus is public health, specifically HIV/AIDS prevention and policy. She became interested in it when she studied abroad in Cape Town South Africa in 2003. During Summer 2007 she will be interning with the World Health Organization in Copenhagen. In 2008, she will be working with the United Nations in Botswana and Lesotho implementing national strategies towards HIV/AIDS prevention.
	Allison Leighton Class of 2000 Degree: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation Former PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member Allison has built a successful career in the field of energy conservation over the past 5 years. Currently, she works at Seattle City Light in their Commercial & Industrial Conservation Resources Division. Before returning to Seattle she spent 3 years in Chicago, where she worked at a private energy consulting firm, as well as a non-profit energy-efficiency organization.
	Marisa Lown Class of 2005 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation; Anthropology (emphasis in pre-historical environmental/human relationships) PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member By day Marisa works in the wireless IT field as a Project Manager; by night and on the weekends, she is the owner of The Radical Cupcake, a special order bakery service that primarily uses organic, seasonal, and locally sourced ingredients. The bakery also specializes in vegan, gluten- and dairy free, and allergy friendly products. Marisa is the former paralegal and office manager for the Washington Forest Law Center, a non-profit environmental law firm.
	Lisa Lurie Class of 2003 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation; Biology Lisa is a graduate student at Duke University, where she is completing a joint Law Degree and Master of Environmental Management. As a 2003-2004 Fulbright Fellow in Ecuador, Lisa worked with government agencies to conduct an inventory of the community-based natural resource management projects in the Mojanda area and participated in reforestation and agroforestry projects. As an undergraduate, Lisa completed her Capstone project via a year-long study abroad program in Ecuador.
	Linda Lyshall Class of 2002 Degree: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member Following graduation from PoE, Linda earned a master's degree in Environmental Policy and Natural Resource Management at the Evans School of Public Affairs. She currently lives in Edmonds and works for the Puget Sound Action Team, Office of the Governor, as a regional liaison helping to protect and restore Puget Sound.
	Yemaya Maurer Class of 2004 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Ecology and Conservation, Minors in Botany and Spanish Yemaya is a freelance writer living in Seattle. She often writes about conservation issues and the outdoors in publications such as Seattle magazine, Northwest Home + Garden and Best Places Seattle. She is currently writing a guide book about winter hiking and camping, which will be published by Appalachian Mountain Club Books in October, 2008. Yemaya also does PR work for her family's organic cotton clothing company, Happy Green Bee. Prior to transitioning into a writing career, she was a program manager with the Student Conservation Association, a non-profit organization engaging young people in hands-on service to the land. She still finds great joy in sharing the outdoors with others--even if these days that happens most often through the written word.
	Eric Mendenhall Class of 2004 Degree: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation; Minor in Geography Certifications: Wetland Science and Management – UW Extension PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member Eric is a consultant at Ticor Title Company, where he is the manager of Developer and Builder Services. He assists developers and builders in understanding City and County regulations and how they work with their property. Eric also is President of an environmental consulting firm that performs wetland analysis and reports. Before beginning his current position, Eric worked as an Associate Planner for the City of Gig Harbor.
	Emily Morris Class of 2004 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation; Aquatic & Fishery Science; and 40+ credits in Business Former PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member Emily lives in Tacoma and has been with the Washington State Department of Ecology since August of 2004. She helps manage Ecology's Water Quality Grant and Loan Program, which is funded from three difference sources. Since the advent of the Puget Sound Initiative, she has been working closely to create a Low Impact Development grant program. She works with local governments to help improve water quality through building wastewater treatment plants, creating environmental education programs and low impact development areas, restoring riparian buffers, and helping homeowners with on-site septic systems.
	Fatima Oswald Class of 2000 Degree: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation. Minor in Anthropology Former PoE Alumni Advisory Board Member Fatima is currently a graduate student at the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington and expects to graduate in June 2007. She has five years of environmentally related work experience in the private, non-profit and public sectors. She is currently working for the King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks - Solid Waste Division. Fatima is interested in housing equality issues and hopes to meld these interests with her environmental interests.
	Amanda Gonzalez Raziano Class of 2001 Degree: Environmental Studies: Population and Health Amanda is currently a Policy Analyst at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials in Washington, DC where she works on Environmental Health issues. She primarily supports state environmental health programs by addressing workforce issues, healthy places, environmental health preparedness as well as the State Environmental Health Directors’ activities. She began her career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has five years of work experience in federal, private, and non-profit environmental health. She is working to complete her MPH from George Washington University.
	Joshua Reese Class of 2002 Degree: Environmental Studies: Population & Health; Minors in Geography and in Law, Societies & Justice Former Chair, PoE Alumni Advisory Board Josh is a Senior Consultant with Booz Allen Hamilton. Josh primarily works on the client-site at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 office. Josh has also worked on environmental projects with the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy. Josh is currently working with the EPA Office of Regional Counsel and is conducting a Potentially Responsible Parties search on the Portland Harbor site.
	Teresa Silvernail Class of 2001 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Population & Health; Business Administration As a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Medical Service Corps, Teresa is the Division Medical Logistics Officer for the 82nd Airborne Division, Fort Bragg, NC. She coordinates medical supplies, manages an annual budget of over $800,000, and serves as an airborne paratrooper. When not jumping out of airplanes, she is completing a M.S. in Environmental Management the University of Maryland. She received the Bronze Star for meritorious service for her service in Operation Iraqi Freedom.
	Jackie White Class of 2005 Degrees: Environmental Studies: Ecology & Conservation; Biology Chair, PoE Alumni Advisory Board Jackie is the 2007-2008 chair of the Program on the Environment Alumni Advisory Board. Jackie works as the Environmental Steward for Seattle Art Museum, based at the Olympic Sculpture Park. Prior to joining SAM Jackie worked for the Pacific Science Center in several capacities, including work with the Mercer Slough Environmental Education Center and the Science On Wheels van program. At the UW Jackie studied both Environmental Studies and Biology, worked with the Earth Club, and completed research projects on Olympic oysters and deep sea hydrothermal vents.

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Page last updated April 30, 2008