LPS News

“Philadelphia is a great laboratory. There are so many examples of green infrastructure and sustainability at work,” Sara King (Master of Environmental Studies ’11) shares about studying and working at the University of Pennsylvania.

“Parks don’t function well unless people are using them,” shares Emma Fried-Cassorla (Master of Environmental Studies ’12), the former Communications Manager at the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC).

“I get excited and geek out when I get to report on and tout the good work that my corporation is doing,” shares Sara Drexler (Master of Environmental Studies ’14), FMC Corporation’s Sustainability Analyst.

On some days, John Butow (Master of Environmental Studies ’14) works with Aramark Facilities Services locations to help their operations comply with environmental regulations and find solutions for risks.

“The more people appreciate their local environment, the easier it is for them to care about ones that are further away” shares Natalie Howe, PhD (Master of Environmental Studies ’06).

“Far too often our poor or minority communities bear the brunt of the nation’s ecological harms,” shares Matthew Lee (Master of Environmental Studies ’08).

“I’m a big kid getting paid to play in the mud,” laughs Mike McGraw (Master of Environmental Studies ’15), the passionate Senior Wildlife Biologist and Ecologist and the PA Branch Manager for Applied Ecological Services.

“If you interviewed me last year, I would have said I wanted to go to med school. Now, after being exposed to so much at Penn, I know my calling is in global work,” shares Akudo Ejelonu.

“Birds are excellent indicators of how your ecosystem is doing,” shares Heather Kostick (Master of Environmental Studies, December ’16—expected), “If they can’t survive, we’re in bad shape.”

It was swimming that first brought Tom to Penn as an Engineering major and eventually to a master’s degree and a career with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).