The Earth Institute holds the 6th annual sustainable development career reception
On October 1, the Earth Institute held the 6th Annual Sustainability Career Reception at Zoom the second year Run. Despite the restrictions of the Internet, the number of attendance this year has increased by 50% compared with last year, bringing together about 40 practitioners and more than 100 graduate and undergraduate students.
Therese Gennari, panellist and founder of Climate Optimists
The increase in attendance is a positive reflection of the work done by the Earth Institute staff to make online events as successful as possible over the past two years, and it also reflects the trend of increasing climate awareness. Panel member and climate optimist founder Anne Therese Gennari also noticed this development and said, “It is incredibly exciting to see so many students choose the path of sustainable development, innovation and positive growth. This makes me feel unbelievably excited. Full of confidence in the future!” The students who participated in this event prepared questions and insights about different career fields and had fruitful discussions throughout the two-hour event.
Usually, the event is held at the Columbia Club in Midtown Manhattan, and conversations are held during dinner and drinks. In the online format, 3-4 group members are assigned to three Zoom breakout rooms instead of round tables. In the first hour of the activity, these group members took turns passing through the three breakout rooms at 20-minute intervals and introduced their background and career paths to the students. In the last hour of the event, the speakers returned to their original breakout room, and the students could walk through the room at their own discretion to connect with sustainability professionals who found their careers best suited to their professional trajectory.
The COVID-19 international health crisis coincides with the most extreme weather event we have seen in years, and this trend will only continue as climate change worsens. Chandler Precht, organizer of the Sustainability Career Reception, said: “There is no doubt that the climate crisis has prompted students to sign up for our courses, and what follows is to provide students with the most valuable Responsibility for professional development activities. This sustainability career reception is one of many ways we help students connect with the company’s practitioners and the sustainability-related roles they hope to eventually enter after completing their degree.”
Although COVID-19 presents additional challenges, Columbia Climate School Earth Institute Always strive to ensure that professional resources are not affected.
The Sustainability Career Reception is mainly for students studying for one of five sustainability degrees at the Earth Institute of Columbia Climate College: Sustainable Development Undergraduate Course, Master of Climate and Society, Master of Sustainability Management, Master of Sustainable Science, with MPA Environmental Science and Policy. This year students have the opportunity to discover new career opportunities and interact with professionals in the field of sustainable development. Among the practitioners participating in this year’s event, their employment fields range from large companies such as Converse, Accenture, and L’Oréal, to smaller companies such as Tomorrow, Climate Optimists, and Ocean Rescue Alliance.
this Earth Institute Professional Development Program Provide students with resources and plans to supplement the career services of their respective schools. The program includes skills development seminars, networking opportunities and tools that together help students better prepare for sustainable job opportunities.
team member. Line 1: Martina Carroso (ENGIE Impact); Josue Lecodet (Accenture); Alex Rudniki (AeroFarms); Riyana Razalee (Re-Nuble); Alana Miller (Re-Nuble); Autumn Blum (Stream2Sea); Grant Harrison (GreenBiz); Elizabeth Pross (Converse). Line 2: Jeff Conant (Friends of the Earth); Gabriel Ingman (Coastal Group); Shelby Thomas (Marine Rescue Alliance); Brian Kahn (Earth); Hugh Peltz (Citizen Bank); Seyena Simpson ( Langan Engineering); Paul Calais (Columbia University); Aly Cirscuolo (New York road runner). Line 3: Kavita Patel (MUUS); Niharika Kishore (Amazon); Danielle Azoulay (L’Oreal America); Megan Ross (NRDC); Liora Hostyk (Ernst & Young); Richa Agarwal (Summit Strategy Group). Line 4: Julia Eiferman (New York City Office of Climate Resilience); Bianca Young (UNEP): Lisa Brunie-McDermott (HNI); Anastasia Gordon (We Act for Environmental Justice); Liz John (Unilever); Tara St. James (another tomorrow); Jessica Kenny (Ernst & Young); Andrew Kruczkiewicz (Columbia University Red Cross). Line 5: Jenni Chun (Samsung Electronics); Rachel Aptowitz (Second Muse); Alexis Rosenblum (Blackstone); Valeree Catangay (Dolby); Bill Barry ( Macmillan); Sarah Janjua (agriculture); Rachel Patterson (EANY); Matthew Dalby (EPA).
