Introduction
A comprehensive survey of Environmental and Sustainability Studies graduates was completed in 2024. This webpage serves as a guide to current and future students to understand possible career paths, obtain advice from those who have gone through this program, and a vast network of graduates available to be contacted.
In the spring of 2024, 214 former students, most of whom completed the program since 2008, responded to the ENVR Alumni Survey. Graduates of the program tend to follow one of six career paths. These include For-Profit, Government, Non-Profit, Education, Other, and Graduate School. Alumni who have given their consent have their information under one of these sectors below.
The insights gained from this survey will better equip students to connect with careers aligned with their and interests and find success after graduation.
The Education Sector
The US Department of Labor defines the Education Services Sector as one that, "comprises establishments that provide instruction and training in a wide variety of subjects. This instruction and training is provided by specialized establishments, such as schools, colleges, universities, and training centers". This may also include those who support the operations of educational services.
Name and Year Graduated | Job Title | Employer | Location | Contact Information |
| Laura Casne ('20) | Visitor Services and Outdoor Educator | Lincoln Parks and Recreation | Lincoln, Nebraska | laura.casne@gmail.com |
| Kate Lagerstrom ('17) | Post-Doctoral Researcher | Lincoln, Nebraska | katelagerstrom@gmail.com | |
| Brittney Wees ('12) | Sustainability Coordinator | Lincoln Public Schools | Lincoln, Nebraska | balbin@lps.org |
| Holly White ('19) | PhD Student in Science Education Research | University of Maine | Orono, Maine | holly.white2@maine.edu |
| Jacob Arneson ('12) | Biology Teacher | Omaha Public Schools | Omaha, Nebraska | Jacob.arneson@ops.org |
| Aaron Devine ('16) | PhD Student in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry | University of Houston | Houston, Texas | adevine@uh.edu or aarondevine1993@gmail.com |
| Blair Burson ('14) | Science Teacher | Omaha, Nebraska | ||
| Sydney Hansen ('21) | Naturalist | Mendota Heights, Minnesota | Text at (612)-889-2239 | |
| Sawyer Krivanek ('20) | Teacher | Albuquerque Public Schools | Albuquerque, New Mexico | sawyer.krivanek@aps.edu |
| Taylor Sloey ('10) | Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences | Old Dominion University | Norfolk, Virginia | tsloey@odu.edu or (757)-777-9041 |
| Andrew Rose ('19) | Data Center Technician | Lincoln, Nebraska | (402)-472-5766 | |
| Sarah Spier ('15) | Community College Biology and Ecology Professor | Southeast Community College | Lincoln, Nebraska | sspier@southeast.edu |
| Drew Havens ('22) | Research Economist | Western Washington University | Bellingham, Washington | dhavens1230@gmail.com |
| Emily Hauck ('17) | High School Band Director | Gering Public Schools | Gering, Nebraska | ehauck993@gmail.com |
| Jessica Van Buskirk ('19) | Academic Advisor | Clarkson College | Bellevue, Nebraska | jessicavanbuskirk25@gmail.com or text at (402)-875-2585 |
| Jerrod Bley ('12) | Sustainability Manager | University of Nebraska Medical Center | Lincoln, Nebraska | jbley@unmc.edu |
For-Profit Sector
The For-Profit Sector
Name and Year Graduated | Job Title | Employer | Location | Contact Information |
| Heather Hansen ('13) | Project Management in Environmental Consulting | Milwaukee, Wisconsin | hansen1427@gmail.com | |
| Anne Kluthe ('22) | Quality Manager | Madison, Wisconsin | annekluthecollege@gmail.com | |
| Emily Nelson ('21) | Associate Scientist | Olsson Engineering | Lincoln, Nebraska | enelson@olsson.com |
| Ashley Jonas ('22) | Environmental Data Analyst | Blair, Nebraska | ashleyjonas5403@gmail.com | |
| Danielle Hardesty ('15) | Scientist II | EA Engineering, Science, and Technology | Lincoln, Nebraska | |
| Chris Elofson ('17) | Hydrogeologist and Groundwater Modeler | HDR | Omaha, Nebraska | chrisnelofson@gmail.com |
| Ali Creeger ('17) | Environmental Scientist and Consultant | St. Paul, Minnesota | ||
| Caitlin Olson ('15) | GIS Specialist | Denver, Colorado | ||
| Bryclin Alstrom ('21) | Medical Market Specialist | San Diego, California | ||
| Nikki Musgrave ('18) | Assistant Greenhouse Manager | Omaha, Nebraska | nmusgrave123@gmail.com or (402)-658-5319 | |
| Eric Kruse ('14) | Environmental Health and Safety Regional Manager | Valmont Industries | Omaha, Nebraska | Text / call / contact through linked-in |
| Kaitlyn Bonadonna ('12) | Product Manager | Chicago, Illinois | kaitlynharas@gmail.com | |
| Samuel Neal ('12) | Regulatory Specialist | Chicago, Illinois | email to schedule a call | |
| Luke Lauby ('21) | Energy Storage Sales | Pixii | Denver Colorado | Email/Phone |
| Martin Brannaman ('22) | Seasonal Outdoor Adventure Guide and Barista | Lincoln, Nebraska | Email is fine | |
| Shelby Serritella ('23) | Account Manager | ILM Environments | Bristol, Wisconsin | sserritella321@gmail.com |
| Amelia Long ('21) | Natural Resources Specialist | JEO Consultant Group | Lincoln, Nebraska | |
| Mark Fowler ('16) | Software Engineer | Davenport, Iowa | ||
| Ian Ritchie ('21) | Grain Merchandiser | Portland, Oregon | Ian.ritchie22@gmail.com | |
| Alex Fischer ('10) | Project Controls Manager | Las Vegas, Nevada | afisch17@gmail.com | |
| John Sens ('10) | Sustainability Manager | Chevron Renewable Energy Group | Story City, Iowa | email is fine but a call is better for a conversation |
| Grady Erickson ('10) | Attorney | Grand Island, Nebraska | Email to my professional email | |
| Ethan Frazier ('19) | Permitting Manager | Kansas City, Missouri | ethan.frazier@outlook.com | |
| Vandhana Rabindranath ('10) | IT Sales | St Charles, Illinois | (224)-595-5018 | |
| Chris Schwarz ('15) | Associate Environmental Consultant | Kansas City, Missouri | ||
| Craig Adams ('11) | Staff Environmental Scientist | Omaha, Nebraska | craigadams17@gmail.com | |
| Corrin Bemis ('18) | Transportation Planner | Minneapolis, Minnesota | corrin.bemis@bolton-menk.com | |
| Yang Liu ('22) | Process Scientist | St. Louis, Missouri | ||
| Chris Elofson ('17) | Hydrogeologist and Groundwater Modeler | Omaha, Nebraska | ||
| Liam Doherty-Herwitz ('23) | Arborist in Training | Oregon | ||
| Stephanie Diaz de Leon ('14) | Employee Benefits Sales Executive | Papillion, Nebraska | ||
| Dillon Dittmer ('10) | Environmental Project Manager | Lincoln, Nebraksa | Email, phone, LinkedIn | |
| Corie Gleason ('23) | Environmental Scientist | EA Engineering, Science, and Technology | Lincoln, Nebraska | coriegleason07@gmail.com or (402)-560-9293 |
| Alexis Lorence ('18) | Environmental Manager | Denver, Colorado | alorence119@gmail.com or (402)-980-1820 | |
| Brooke Seachord ('16) | Hazard Mitigation and Emergency Planner | Lincoln, Nebraska | bwelshappleby2@gmail.com | |
| Madison Hergenrader ('16) | Adventure Therapy Mentor | Madison, Wisconsin | mhergenrader3@gmail.com | |
| Kat Woerner ('22) | Junior Consultant | Allianz Technology SE München in ESG & Sustainability Consulting | Munich, Germany | Kwoerner3@gmail.com or Linkedin |
| Evan Bumann ('17) | Data Analyst | Thornton, Colorado | ||
| Liam Downes ('21) | Sustainable Farming | Lincoln, Nebraska | By email | |
| Lila Peterson ('19) | Sustainability Manager | South Lake Tahoe, California | ||
| Eric Barth ('12) | Sr. Environmental Manager | Monolith LLC | Bennet, Nebraska | Eric.Barth@monolith-corp.com |
| Jessica Hanson ('11) | Performing Artist, Composer, and Audio Engineer | Baltimore, Maryland | ||
| Jarad Kinyoun ('12) | Senior Business Development Specialist | Mesa, Arizona | Email, Zoom, MS Teams | |
| Johnna Guernsey ('19) | Adventures Trip Specialist | REI Adventures | Portland, Oregon | Johnna.guernsey@gmail.com or jguerns@rei.com |
| Jennie Sutton ('10) | Accounting Specialist | Lincoln, Nebraska | sutton.korgie7@gmail.com | |
| Kathie Pfaffle ('11) | Real Estate Agent, Broker, and Owner | Sioux City | Text to set up initial call | |
| Elizabeth (Betty) Arant ('11) | Remote Health and Welness Coach | Omaha, Nebraska | Phone, email, LinkedIn, text, in-person | |
| Nick Nardone ('17) | Environmental Compliance Specialist | Houston, Texas | Email or Phone call | |
| Thomas McGuire ('15) | New Home Warranty Manager | Omaha, Nebraska | Email or scheduled phone calls | |
| Nash Leef ('22) | Business Owner in Biochar and Produce | Self Employed | Lincoln, Nebraska | |
| William Avery ('13) | Environmental Consulting | Lincoln Nebraska | Email then either that or phone | |
| Alaina Hogan ('20) | Farmer | Saint Paul, Minnesota | alainakapla@gmail.com | |
| Louan Pagan ('12) | Conseillère des États-Unis | Paris, France | ||
| Ally Little ('12) | Senior Environmental Scientist | Fort Collins, Colorado | Allyson.c.little@gmail.com | |
| Katilyn Price ('10) | North America Technical Development Manager | Bayer | St Louis, Missouri | |
| Jennifer Jones ('10) | CEO and President | Scrap Central Inc. | Bennington, Nebraska | jennifer@scrapcentralrecycling.com |
| Alex Cusimano ('20) | Elastomer Lab Coordinator | Lincoln, Nebraska | Email, LinkedIn, Text | |
| Aspen Rittgarn ('23) | Ranch Technician | Turner Enterprise's Bad River Ranch | Ft. Pierre, South Dakota | Contacted through text or call. |
| Reece Allen ('16) | Environmental Consulting | Omaha, Nebraska | allenreeceh@gmail.com | |
| Ellen Bini ('09) | Urban Analyst | Portland, Oregon | ||
| Joe Alvine ('10) | Real Estate Broker | Colorado |
The Government Sector
The Government Sector represents all employees who works for a government entity, such as a state, city, county, or the federal government.
Name and Year Graduated | Job Title | Employer | Location | Contact Information |
| Alexandra Sorensen ('18) | Park Ranger | U.S. Forest Service | Lincoln, Nebraska (winter) and Hood River, Oregon (Summer) | alexrsorensen@hotmail.com |
| Vivian Nguyen ('14) | Senior Communications Strategist | U.S. Department of State - Center for Analytics | Washington, D.C. | vivian.nguyen118@gmail.com |
| Christopher Sukstorf ('20) | Environmental Health Scientist | Lincoln, Nebraska | (913)-636-3312 | |
| Gary Bergstrom ('04) | Air Quality Program Supervisor | Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
| Emily Reif ('18) | Recreation and Lands Staff Officer | U.S. Department of Agriculture and Black Hills National Forest | Sundance, Wyoming | emily.reif33@gmail.com or emily.reif1@usda.gov |
| James Cope ('14) | Hydrological Technician | Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
| Katie Clear ('11) | Environmental Specialist II | Lincoln Nebraska | krclear@gmail.com | |
| Lauren Uhlig ('19) | Environmental Resource Specialist | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Omaha, Nebraska | luhlig97@gmail.com |
| Jim McBride ('12) | Adaptive Management and Restoration Coordinator | California Department of Fish and Wildlife Services | Sacramento, California | jimmcbride8@gmail.com |
| Victoria Nelson ('13) | Environmental Protection Health Specialist | Missouri | Vnelson16@yahoo.com | |
| Weslyn Ramaekers ('17) | Agriculture Biologist | Santa Cruz, California | Cell | |
| Tucker Bonow ('17) | Naval Officer | Saratoga Springs Facility | Saratoga Springs, New York | |
| Hannah Jones ('18_ | Planning and Trails Assistant Division Administrator | Nebraska Game and Parks Commission | Lincoln, Nebraska | hannah.jones@nebraska.gov |
| Madeline Howell ('13) | Environmental Scientist | Omaha, Nebraska | ||
| Elizabeth Rhodes ('12) | Air Quality Specialist | Omaha, Nebraska | lizzienovich@gmail.com | |
| Benjamin Breske ('23) | Wildlife Biology Member and Tracking Intern | American Conservation Experience and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service | Eagle Lake, Texas | benbreske@gmail.com |
| Andrew Osborn ('22) | Natural Resources Specialist | U.S. Army Corps of Engineers | Omaha, Nebraska | andrewmosborn@outlook.com or andrew.m.osborn@usace.army.mil |
| Jasmine Mausbach ('18) | Research Specialist | University of Illinoi Urbana-Champaign's Herbicide Evaluation Lab | Urbana, Illinois | jmaus96@gmail.com |
| Ryan Becker ('16) | Solid Waste Environmental Compliance | Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
| Brady Cooper ('20) | Lab Scientist | Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
| Jake Smith ('14) | Nebraska Environmental Doccumentation System (NEDS) Manager | Nebraska Department of Transportation | Lincoln, Nebraska | I would prefer email initially. |
| Heaven Hulshizer ('16) | Environmental Quality Control Technician | City of Omaha's Public Works Department | Omaha, Nebraska | Text/email would be easiest |
| Nico Cantarero ('05) | Water Resources Coordinator | City of Minneapolis' Stormwater Program | Minneapolis, Minnesota | |
| Amber Reinkordt ('15) | Landscape Area Leader | University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Denton, Nebraska | Text, Email or Phone |
| Jasmine Frazier ('15) | American Citizen Services Assistant | U.S. Embassy in Tokyo | Yokohama, Japan | jasfraz@gmail.com |
| Matthew Holte ('22) | Fire Management Officer | State of Nebraska, Nebraska Forest Service, University of Nebraska-Lincoln | Seward, Nebraska | Email/phone |
| Willa DiCostanzo ('12) | Waste Diversion Coordinator | City of Lincoln's Solid Waste Management | Eagle, Nebraska | Phone call |
| Mikhaela Mullins ('11) | Healthy Food for Denver's Kids Program Associate | City and County of Denver's Department of Public Health and Environment | Denver, Colorado | mmullins122@gmail.com |
| Tyler Goeschel ('13) | Assistant Manager | Little Blue Natural Resources District | Lincoln, Nebraska | Email or phone |
| Angel Williams ('15) | Natural Resource Specialist | U.S. Army Crops of Engineers | West Virginia | angel.andrewwilliams@gmail.com |
| Emma Sorensen ('21) | Gardener | Lincoln Parks and Recreation | Lincoln, Nebraska | emsore12@gmail.com |
| Jenn Chakravorty ('12) | Resource Conservationist | U.S. Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources Conservation Service | Madison, Wisconsin | Jennchakravorty@gmail.com |
| Ryley Thomas ('20) | Prosecutor | City of Chicago | Chicago, Illinois | ryleythomas33@gmail.com, LinkedIn or (402)-802-4873 |
| Emma Trewhitt ('14) | Senior Water Quality Planner | Pierce County, Washington | Tacoma, Washington | emma.trewhitt@piercecountywa.gov |
| Connor McFayden ('21) | Wellhead Protection Coordinator | Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy | Lincoln, Nebraska | (402)-320-0332 |
| Andy Pedley ('12) | Integrated Water Management Coordinator | Nebraska Department of Natural Resources | Lincoln, Nebraska | andy.pedley@nebraska.gov |
| Grace Kollars ('23) | Environmental Specialist I | City of Lincoln's Wastewater Department | Lincoln, Nebraska | (937)-522-1185 |
| Adam Sutton ('10) | Environmental Educator | Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
| Ethan Dudden ('20) | Forestry Technician | Fort Collins, Colorado | ethandudden23@gmail.com | |
| Zach Shirk ('10) | Park Ranger | Washington State Parks | Leavenworth, Washington | (509)-470-4535 |
| Cleo Mullison ('19) | Water Quality Technician | City of Minneapolis | St. Paul, Minneasota | cleome.mullison@gmail.com |
| Neil Tabor ('13) | Senior Planner | City of Tacoma's Planning Department | Tacoma, Wwashington | Neiltabor1@gmail.com or (402)709-6564 |
| Kayla Vondracek ('21) | Natural Resources Technician | Upper Elkhorn Natural Resources District | Verdigre, Nebraska | kayla.gilbertson@outlook.com |
| Ryan Kendall ('20) | Community Planner and Environmental Compliance Officer | Omaha, Nebraska | ryankendall165@gmail.com or (402)-315-0174 |
Non-Profit Sector
Non-profits and non-governmental organizations work to provide a social or public benefit, rather than generating revenue. Often, they are involved in advocacy work.
Name and Year Graduated | Job Title | Employer | Location | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rachel Oceguera ('22) | Program Associate | Keep Nebraska Beautiful | Lincoln, Nebraska | roceguera@knb.org |
| Toby Burnham ('14) | Member and Affiliate Coordinator | Nebraska Statewide Arboretum | Lincoln, Nebraska | toby.burnham@unl.edu |
| Brynn Fuelberth ('23) | Assistant Logistics Manager | North Carolina Outward Bound | North Carolina and Florida | brynnf210@gmail.com |
| Ben Heusinkvelt ('16) | Grounds and Orchard Manager | Arbor Day Farm | Bellevue, Nebraska | |
| Sam Virgillito ('19) | Los Angeles, California | (913)-575-3058 | ||
| Whitney Drahota ('15) | Administrative and Program Support Specialist | YMCA Camp Kitaki | Lincoln, Nebraska | wdrahota@gmail.com |
| Olivia Hultman ('22) | Program Director of Teen & Travel Programs | YMCA Camp Kitaki | Omaha, Nebraska | hultman@ymcalincoln.org or (402)-434-9221 |
| Adam Fenton ('17) | Senior Manager of Operations and Systems | Eagle, Colorado | afenton@vvf.org | |
| Haley Nolde ('21) | Executive Director | Nebraska Recycling Council | Lincoln, Nebraska | |
| Thien Chau ('16) | Senior Associate Attorney | Earthjustice | Oakland, California | thien.chau7@gmail.com |
| Shane Vrbicky ('23) | Assistant Director at Pine Elementary | Zoo After School Program | Omaha, Nebraska | |
| Meghan Sittler ('00) | Center Director | Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center | Lincoln, Nebraska | Meghan.sittler@audubon.org |
| Brig Bogue ('19) | Web and Education Assistant | Texitile Center | Minneapolis, Minnesota | brig.bogue@gmail.com |
| Amanda Gangwish ('16) | Program Director | Conservation Nebraska | Omaha, Nebraska | |
| Kelley Phillips ('11) | Assistant Director | Indiana | ||
| Carina Olivetti ('21) | Program Director | Nebraska Recycling Council | Lincoln, Nebraska | colivetti@nrcne.org or (402)-436-2384 x 104 |
| Dillon Hanson-Ahumada ('19) | Conservation Project Coordinator | The Nature Conservancy | Denver, Colorado | hansondillon1996@gmail.com |
| Emily Hergenrader ('18) | Tree Program Manager | Keep Omaha Beautiful | Omaha, Nebraska | Emily.hergenrader@cityofomaha.org |
| Mandy Bydalek ('20) | Little Rock, Arkansas | |||
| Connor Nichols ('22) | Renew Nebraska Program Manager | Nebraska Conservation Voters | Lincoln, Nebraska | nicholsconnor1999@gmail.com |
| Nick Arneson ('13) | Agriculture Projects Lead | The Nature Conservancy | Nebraska | njarneson2@gmail.com or (402)-676-1618 |
| Dakota Staggs ('18) | Assistant Vice President | Beyond School Bells | Omaha, Nebraska | dstaggs@nebraskachildren.org |
| Samantha Beeck ('15) | Administrative Assistant | Lincoln, Nebraska | ||
| Jimmy Simpson ('12) | Director of Partnerships | San Francisco, California | jimmysimpsonjr@gmail.com | |
| Jadon Basilevac ('23) | Program Officer | International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives - United States (ICLEI) | Murrieta, California |
Pursuing Further Education
Students that completed are program may also be attending graduate school or other forms of education. This section represents those individuals.
Name and Graduation Date | Subject | Institution | Location | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney Corcoran ('19) | Master's Degree in Hydrology | University of Nevada Reno | Reno, Nevada | |
| Jake Duffy ('23) | Masters Student in International Forestry | Freiburg, Germany | jakejduffy@gmail.com | |
| Isabella Catalano ('18) | PhD Candidate in Neuroscience | Montreal, Canada | isabellacatalano@gmail.com or isabella.catalano@mail.mcgill.ca | |
| Jonah McDowell ('23) | Masters Student in Environmental Studies | University of Pennsylvania | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | jonah.mcdowell21@gmail.com |
Other
Those that do not identify themselves with the other categories fall into this other section such as those who are currently unemployed.
Name and Year Graduated | Job Title | Employer | Location | Contact Information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jessica Furlan ('13) | Track and Field Athlete | Victoria, BC, Canada | ||
| Jared Norris ('12) | Unemployed | norrisj42@yahoo.com | ||
| Engelbert Quechenberger ('16) | Videographer | WSL | Dana Point, California | engelbertquech@gmail.com |
| Yuzhe Luo ('17) | Environmental and Remote Sensing Technician | China | yes0rpg@gmail.com | |
| Jenna McCoy ('21) | Job Searching | Lincoln, Nebraska | mccoy.jenna99@hotmail.com |