MES in the Community 2015

As an undergraduate, Anya Saretzky (Master of Environmental Studies, ’14), was interested in finding ways to affect change in areas like urban decay, poverty and equity. She discovered a bridge in the environmental field that set her on the path to where she is today.

Read how Tom Brightman (MES ’10), Longwood Garden's Land Stewardship Manager, is taking the lead on green initiatives and endeavors in sustainability.

When Stephanie Chiorean (Master of Environmental Studies ’08) emigrated from post- Communist-era Romania to Southern California when she was just 10, the drastic change created a lifelong awareness of the relationship between nature and urban spaces.

Read about Nidhi Krishen’s (MES ’15) switch from the binary word of software engineering to the pursuit of her lifelong interest in environmental protection.

Read about how recent grad Christopher Putvinksi (MES ’15) is impacting environmental health on the domestic and global fronts.

Read about how Julian Goresko (MES '14) is transforming waste management and composting on Penn’s Campus.

Rupal Prasad (Master of Environmental Studies ’13) had been working in a neurobiology lab as a research assistant for over five years when a chance conversation sparked a new train of thought.

In 2010, the massive Deepwater Horizon oil spill wreaked havoc in the Louisiana Gulf. At the time, Alex Warwood (Master of Environmental Studies ’13) was serving as a marine science technician in the Coast Guard.

When Mike Coll (Master of Environmental Studies ’08) felt unsatisfied with his work — as a woodworker and photographer in Philadelphia — he took a practical approach to figuring out what he should do next.

Surfing at the Jersey shore was supposed to relax Tony Tancini (Master of Environmental Studies '10), a commercial and environmental litigator at a prestigious Philadelphia firm. But Tony couldn't get rid of a troubling thought every time he suited up and took to the waves.

As a policy advisor who's worked in both Governor Rendell’s administration and for former Vice President Al Gore, she says, she's learned that "making real change in the world means understanding compromise. And I find identifying compromise to be very attractive."