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Environmental Studies

Internship Opportunities 

  • A student attended an environmental conference in Brazil sponsored by the Office of International Affairs through the Environmental Protection Agency. This conference was very intensive and he was able to meet with high-ranking officials in Brazil charged with managing Brail's Natural Resources.
  • A student served as an intern with the Hoosic River Watershed Association. He participated in projects regarding public education of the Hoosic River, tracking of wood turtles, maintaining trails, and researching propety ownership along the river.
  • A student served as an intern in Yellowstone National Park.
  • A student traveled to six national parks over the summer and shot more than 80 rolls of film.
  • A student served as an intern with Nature's Classroom in Beckett. Nature's Classroom educates young children about science and the environment.

 

Environmental Studies Majors Are in Demand in Fields such as

• Commercial business
• Government
• Teaching
• Law
• Politics
• Research

High Praise From Our Graduates

Betsey Willis
StudentI teach 6th grade science at the South Middle School in Braintree, MA. I just graduated with my master's of education degree this spring. I completed an Educating for Sustainability program as part of the Experienced Educators program at Antioch University New England in Keene, NH. This program is new, but very exciting and great for teachers of all levels and subjects.  I am on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Environmental Education Society and the Massachusetts Association of Science Teachers.

MCLA gave me a lot of hands-on experience and training. The small class sizes allow individualized instruction from professors and meaningful experiences outdoors and in the lab. Professors model how to use the outdoors with students and how to manage a lab. This has been helpful in my teaching. I work hard to provide hands-on, experiential learning for my students.

Dan Harris
StudentsI currently work as a field technician for Berkshire Environmental Consultants, Inc., in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where I conduct ambient air sampling, stormwater monitoring, and emissions monitoring.  Our job is to ensure federal and state regulatory compliance for our municipal and industrial clients.

MCLA's Environmental Studies program gave me a comprehensive introduction to the evolution and goals of the regulatory framework that defines my everyday work.  Courses like Environmental Policy and Environmental Law helped to illuminate some of the complexities of major environmental legislation and court decisions, while lab courses such as Methods in Research provided hands-on opportunities for learning proper field techniques.

Mike Gromacki
StudentsI had the opportunity to be a part of a Saw-whet owl banding project at Hopkins Memorial Forest. We captured, banded, and released Saw-whet owls for migratory research. This was one of the best projects I have ever participated in as it will help prepare me for graduate school. My hope is that future Environmental Studies undergraduates will follow in my footsteps, adopting this operation as their own, as it is a wonderful educational experience available to MCLA students.

 

 

Becca Knights
Currently I am employed at BPVS (Berkshire Photovoltaic Services) in Adams, MA as the project manager. I started working at BPVS three years ago with an internship while enrolled at MCLA in the Environmental Studies Program. The internship consisted of a kWh analysis project. My main task was to estimate how many kWh's a nominal 1 kW system will produce, based on past BPVS customer kWh readings. MCLA prepared me for this internship greatly by allowing me to participate in many labs where I learned how to critically analyze large amounts of data, which at first glance can be very overwhelming.

I enjoyed how enthusiastic the professors were about the Environmental Program. The department was filled with professors who not only believed in what they teach, but live it every day.  My professors helped closed the gap between college life & the professional world by keeping us updated with volunteer, internship and job opportunities. I genuinely enjoyed my time at MCLA & appreciate everything I learned while I was there.