ENVIRONMENT

Career Panel: Environment

Facilitator: Jennifer Blanck, Assistant Dean, Career & Alumni Services

GeorgetownUniversity

Center for Climate Strategies

Lewison Lee Lem, Ph.D., Program Manager

Environmental Defense

Janea Scott, Attorney

Global Green

Mary Luevano, Policy & Legislative Affairs Director

Jennifer Blanck, Assistant Dean, Career & Alumni Services

  • Brief profile and what organizations do.

Lewison Lee Lem, Ph.D., Program Manager

  • No organization does the work we do
  • We are a nonprofit based in university setting
  • Work related to climate change.
  • Description of the impacts of climate change-loss of Sierra snow packs
  • Specific work with state government and legislature
  • Masters from Columbia and degree from UCLA

Mary Luevano, Policy & Legislative Affairs Director

  • Global green is a nonprofit-11 yrs old
  • Affiliate of Green Cross
  • Have worked on: water access, weapons of mass destruction, and climate change
  • Small organization- requires multi-tasking
  • Focus in area of green building
  • Practice policy side

Janea Scott, Attorney

  • Also nonprofit with 5K members
  • Science law and economics -PhD’sand scientists on staff.
  • How can we get more green space and access to parks
  • Alliance corporate program with FedEx design fuel efficient trucks.
  • Offices in NY, Boston, DC, North Carolina, Texas, Boulder, and NorthCA
  • As an attorney – does legal work and policy work
  • Works with EPA, LA City council

Jennifer Blanck

  • Let’s discuss internships and jobs

Lewison Lee Lem

  • Our organization is small
  • We don’t have formal internships
  • If people are interested, they can contact me or visit our website
  • Students – work on quantitative analysis, policy analysis
  • Paid internships

Mary Luevano

  • Center for nonprofit management is a place students interested in environment and climate change can look for internships
  • Internships available-we have postings for positions
  • We have increased awareness of environmental issues – used celebrities such as Brad Pitt
  • Encourage celebrities to drive hybrid cars to award shows
  • On job side, we have opened New Orleans site, but it is a senior staff position
  • Interviewing interns now for 6 month internship-contact her directly.

Janea Scott

  • We also have internships-interns go to meetings, conference calls
  • Ph.ds and scientists on staff, they have interns working with them
  • Development folks also have interns
  • Law school interns -10 weeks during the summer. We try to pay them, not the same pay as if they are working for a Law firm-$5k
  • Hiring needs – will be hiring development people, policy analysts in the next few months. Sacramento office will also need folks

Jennifer Blanck

  • What are the skill sets required for your organizations?

Janea Scott

  • Smart, talented people
  • In advocacy jobs, you cannot be shy, should be flexible
  • Your job might shift from day to day. Being able to prioritize, work independently
  • Staff members – some have work experience already. Very few come right out of school. Being able to learn on the fly. Scientists have to learn how to advocate by being able to explain and translate information into something that is compelling.

Mary Luevano

  • Flexibility is essential
  • Writing ability
  • Confidence

Lewison Lee Lem

  • Reading, writing, and quantitative
  • People skills – emotional and social intelligence

Jennifer Blanck

  • Any technical skills?

Lewison Lee Lem

  • Being able to process scientific language

Mary Luevano

  • People who speak different languages
  • Experience in building operations
  • People who have had campaign experience

Janea Scott

  • Advocating and analyzing data, political savvy

Jennifer Blanck

  • How about hiring international students?

Lewison Lee Lem

  • Yes, we all hire international students.

Jennifer Blanck

  • Any new trends going on in your organization or in the field?

Janea Scott

  • U.S. is on the brink of doing something on global climate change.
  • Need for climate scientists.
  • Health program is looking at antibiotics, also NANO technology. Interesting cross between science and technology

Mary Luevano

  • Green building is an interesting field that is growing
  • Green building products, companies evolving

Lewison Lee Lem

  • Climate change is seeing how we are all connected to each other in the world.
  • We look across transportation issues etc.

David Q

  • Tie between money and work (climate change capstone project)
  • Should they think of working for government, or foundations etc?

Mary Luevano

  • It is an individual thing.
  • If you have skill in certain area, you can transition to a specific area.
  • You find a lot of students in the nonprofit. It depends on preference.

Lewison Lee Lem

  • I worked for the EPA when I started

Janea Scott

  • If you are passionate about environment – then advocacy organizations are for you.
  • If you can wait to advocate, then may be for a foundation.
  • Or to the government, depending on who is in office.

Paul Q

  • Do students need scientific background? Are there professional organizations?

Lewison Lee Lem

  • American Planning Association
  • Air and Waste management
  • Transportation conferences
  • Each area has its own professional organization
  • Students should go to conferences and meet and talk to people
  • Scientific background isn’t essential

Mary Luevano

  • Environment issues 20 years ago were different that what we have today
  • USGreen Building Council is one way to get associated

Q – 4 costs associated with hiring international people. One of costs must be carried by the sponsoring association.

Lewison Lee Lem

  • My situation was unique
  • Problem with the H1 visas system
  • Sometimes graduates go home and they cannot come back. It is a barrier for International students.

Q – Identifying organizations that are hiring is difficult. Also pay is an issue. Any advice – is it networking that gets them in. Environmental consulting keeps coming up, is ita trend?

Janea Scott

  • I started out as an intern. I was in the right place in the right time.
  • They were looking for a junior person. Timing is tricky.
  • Networking is important. NYU has a public interest fellowship. So all the NYU students are free for us. We don’t have has much money.
  • Princeton has a Princeton 55 fellowship. Another way to get them in the door.

Mary Luevano

  • Doing an internship is a way to get in

Lewison Lee Lem

  • If you have technical area or substantive area, you can find work in that area.

Jennifer Blanck

  • Where do postings go out?

Lewison Lee Lem

  • We don’t post them.

Mary Luevano

  • On websites. Contact local universities UCLA, USC, Loyola.
  • Also on Craig’s list.

Janea Scott

  • Website.
  • Internships we contact universities.

Ray

  • is a website for environmental jobs.