Sustainability is not just one of the themes of the Undergraduate Government of Boston College (UGBC) this year; it is also an expanding field of entrepreneurship and opportunity. Last Thursday, BC hosted an event that gave students a unique view of what life after college has to offer in the field of sustainability. The Green Career Conference showcased two panels composed of experts who are employed in sustainability and other environmentally friendly fields.
The concept for the conference is attributed to Frances Schwiep, A&S '11, and Cecelia McDonald, A&S '10. "We saw that BC had a need and sought to fill it," McDonald said. McDonald and Schwiep, along with Jeffrey Renshaw, A&S '09, Ryan Beck, CSOM '10, and Joseph DeCarle, CSOM '09, organized the event, contacted experts, and acted as the driving force behind the three-hour conference in the Heights room.
"The Green Career Panel was another student-led, innovative event that is particularly timely given the opportunities for 'green collar' jobs," Deirdre Manning, director of sustainability, said in an e-mail.
The event opened with an address from Eric Strauss, director of the environmental studies program. He set the tone of the conference by expressing the importance of the "green" field. "One of the few areas of expansion is 'green' jobs. There is no greater need than to solve issues of environmental degradation and sustainability," Strauss said. The first panel was composed of individuals from the public sector, policy makers, and non-profit organizations. This panel featured Kahlil Kettering from the National Parks Association, Jonathan Lewis, a staff attorney for the Clean Air Task Force, Jamie Lalos from the Cadmus Group, and Robert Zimmerman, executive director of the Charles River Watershed Association. The first panel was moderated by Deb Berman, director of talent and research for sustainability employment and networking firm JustMeans.
The private sector and law practice industries were represented on the second panel. Moderator Peter Crawley, a consultant at Satoria Sustainability Consulting, led the second panel discussion, which included Robert Pojasek, a Harvard University professor, Kevin Dutt, a managing partner at Sustainable Edge, LLC, David Nurse, director of Baseline Sustainability, and Jacob Travis, founder of sustainability education firm, EcoCollege
Both panels offered advice on how to break in to their respective fields. Many panelists stressed the importance of experience and networking in the sustainability field. "There are not a lot of experienced people in this business, so do something to get any experience and you will be very marketable," Travis said. "Get experience. Do anything you can to get experience in the field," Lalos said. Panelists also alleviated anxiety about the economy and the job hunt. "This is a great time to be looking for a job, even with the economy. Jobs are coming about constantly in the sustainability movement," Nurse said. "Don't be too scared about the economy," said Zimmerman, who endured the 21 percent inflation and harsh economy of the 1970s. Panelists were sure to note the opportunities that exist in the expanding career field. For the business oriented, "Investors are very focused on this area [of sustainability]," Dutt said.
Event organizers said they were pleased with the outcome of the panel discussion. "I think people benefited from the event in the way that we hoped. Like anything, people will get out of the event what they put into it," McDonald said in an e-mail, "Our hope was to give students the opportunity to meet people who have worked in careers related to the environment. What students do from there is up to them."
McDonald hopes that the conference becomes an annual tradition and that it will prompt other groups to have similar events. The organizers of the event were also pleased with the networking opportunities provided by hosting the visiting experts. "I thought my point of view might be useful. [The conference] was a great opportunity to inspire graduates or almost-graduates to do something worthwhile," Zimmerman said.
Panelists expressed hope in the upcoming generation as well. "You [BC students] are all creative people who go to one of the best universities in the country. You can do anything," Zimmerman said.
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