Career and Graduate School Options

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, New York Job Titles for Recent ESF Graduates

Chemistry Environmental and Air Quality Specialist Forest Biology Analytic Chemist Agricultural Extensionist Biochemist Agriculture Researcher ESF graduates get jobs all over the world, in all Chemical Engineer Agronomist Chemical Marketing Representative kinds of locations and all kinds of environments. Air Pollution Control Analyst Chemical Research Engineer Animal Ecologist Some work in their hometowns. Others work in Environmental Analyst Animal Physiologist exotic locales in Africa, Europe or Asia. Some work Environmental Chemist Animal Scientist in a forested wilderness area. Others work in high- Environmental Inspector Aquatic Biologist tech manufacturing environments or state-of-the-art Field Chemist Aquatic Ecologist laboratory facilities. Many work in the nation’s urban Hazardous Material Specialist Assistant Professor Hazardous Waste Engineer Associate Zoo Director centers; others in suburban and rural towns. Hazardous Waste Site Manager Biology Teacher ESF graduates have a wealth of opportunities Industrial Hygienist Biometrician to pursue because the College emphasizes problem- Laboratory Supervisor Bioprocess Associate solving and communications skills as much as it Medical Lab Researcher Botanist focuses on science and professional training. Natural Products Chemist Clinical Laboratory Investigator Organic Chemist In the following pages, you will find examples of Coastal Zone Resources Specialist Pesticide Residue Chemist Commercial Fisherman many careers that ESF alumni have pursued success- Pharmaceutical Chemist Conservation Biologist fully, as well as some of the graduate degree programs Pollution Analyst Conservation Educator they have entered. Pollution Control Specialist Cooperative Extension Agent ESF’s academic program areas are affiliated with Polymer Chemist Cytologist some of the largest industries in the United States. Product Development Chemist Ecological Inventory Researcher Public Interest Chemist Ecological Modeler The U.S. Department of Labor predicts that job Quality Assurance Chemist Entomologist opportunities for our graduates will continue to Radiation Protection Specialist Environmental Analyst grow. You can prepare for a career that will change Research Biochemist Environmental Conservation Officer the world by choosing ESF. Research Chemist Environmental Consultant Technical Service Representative Environmental Education Specialist Toxicologist Environmental Protection Specialist Water and Air Quality Analyst Fish and Wildlife Ecologist Fish Farmer Sustainable Construction Fish Hatchery Manager Management and Engineering Fish Pathologist Fisheries Biologist Assistant Production Manager Forest Entomologist Building Construction Engineer Game Biologist Building Contractor Geneticist Building Materials Specialist Horticulturist Building Products Representative Ichthyologist Construction Engineer Industrial Hygienist Construction Materials Inspector Insect Control Evaluator Construction Plans Examiner Invasive Plant Specialist Construction Supervisor Invertebrate Ecologist Contract Specialist Laboratory Animal Supervisor Cost Estimation Manager Landscape Ecologist Field Engineer Limnologist Project Engineer Mammalogist Project Estimator Marine Resources Specialist Project Manager Microbiologist Quality Control Supervisor Mycologist Safety Inspector Oceanographic Ecologist Simulator Facilities Engineer Ornithological Field Researcher Technical Sales Representative Ornithologist Truss and Components Engineer Park Naturalist Wood Preservation Specialist Pesticide Investigator Wood Products Specialist Physician Wood Research Associate Plant Breeder Wood Technologist Plant Pathologist

On the cover: NASA Earth Observatory image by Robert Simmon, using Suomi NPP VIIRS data provided courtesy of Chris Elvidge (NOAA National Geophysical Data Center). 1 Success Stories

Joe Martens Resources Management, M.S. ’81

“ESF is what brought me to New York state in the first place,” said Joe Martens, “and it had a profound influence on my career and life path.” A native of Connecticut, Martens has called New York home ever since he came to ESF for graduate school and then went to Albany for an internship with the state assembly to complement the work in his master’s degree program. His ESF experience led him to positions in govern- Plant Physiologist Environmental Engineer ment and nonprofit agencies and to an appointment Public Health Researcher Environmental Field Geologist by Governor Andrew Cuomo as commissioner of Public Health Specialist Environmental Land-use Specialist the New York State Department of Environmental Research Geneticist Environmental Research Analyst Conservation (DEC) in 2011. Research Horticulturist Flood Control Specialist With a career dedicated to protecting and improving Restoration Ecologist Forest Engineer the environment, and with substantial responsibility Sanctuary Manager Forest Products Engineer for shaping government policies, Martens worked to Science Teacher Geodesist help the state solve some serious environmental issues Sea Lion Trainer Geotechnical Engineer in areas such as hydraulic fracturing, invasive species, Seed Orchard Researcher Ground Water Investigator water quality and flood control. Silviculturalist Hazardous Waste Specialist Regarding hydraulic fracturing, Martens feels New Soil Conservationist Highway Engineer York is “in a good spot” in the national debate on the Soil Scientist Hydrogeologist method of extracting natural gas through deep, horizon- Surgical Technician Hydrologist tal wells. A recent three-year study recommended strin- Toxicologist Natural Resource Engineer gent requirements for hydraulic fracturing, and public Tree Propagation Scientist Packaging Engineer input was sought to formulate New York’s regulations. Urban Park Ranger Parks and Recreation Supervisor It’s issues such as hydraulic fracturing (commonly Vertebrate Physiologist Photogrammetric Engineer known as hydrofracking) that ESF graduates are well Veterinary Assistant Photogrammetrist prepared to help New York — and the world — face Water Quality Planner Pollution Control Engineer in the future, according to Martens. As the leader of Waterfowl Biologist Public Service Engineer the DEC, Martens brought a solid understanding of Wetlands Ecologist Public Utility Manager both environmental issues and the way state govern- Wildlife Biologist Public Works Engineer ment works. Wildlife Conservation Specialist Reservoir Engineer “ESF is poised like no other College to put people in Wildlife Manager Solar Energy Specialist positions of critical importance around the world. ESF Wildlife Researcher Structural Engineer students are trained in issues that will be important in Zoo Curator Transportation Analyst our time,” he said. Zoologist Transportation Environmental Specialist While the environmental challenges for the state are Waste Management Specialist immense, Martens said he enjoyed the fact that his work Environmental Resources Wastewater Environmental Engineer put him in contact with many colleagues at the state Engineering Water Resources Engineer and federal levels who are also ESF alumni. “I experi- Water Rights Engineer ence this wherever I go. People are proud to tell me they Aerial Photograph Interpreter Water Source Protection Manager went to ESF when I see them,” he said. Analytical Engineer Prior to leading the DEC, Martens was president of Bridge Construction Engineer the Open Space Institute (OSI), a non-profit organization Cartographer dedicated to protecting scenic, natural, and historic Civil Engineer landscapes to ensure public enjoyment, conserve Construction Engineer habitats, and sustain community character. More than Construction Grants Specialist 100,000 acres in New York have been protected through Design Engineer OSI’s direct acquisition and conservation easements. Energy Auditor Energy Efficiency Specialist Energy Planning Supervisor Energy Supply Engineer Engineering Materials Specialist

2 Success Stories

Howard “Bud” Ris Landscape Architecture, M.L.A, ’75

In the early ’70s, the environ- mental movement was gaining momentum, and Howard “Bud” Ris was eager to be a part of the promised changes. “A new consciousness about man’s role as a steward of the planet was taking hold. Environmental Science and Conservation Educator Landscape architects had a Environmental Studies Conservation Scientist huge role to play, and we all left ESF eager to take on this Consulting Forester Capital Project Coordinator new responsibility,” Ris said. Cooperative Forest Manager Cartographer After leaving ESF and attaining senior positions in a Environmental Conservation Officer Community Resource Development consulting firm and various government agencies, Ris Environmental Consultant Cultural Impact Analyst joined the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), head- Environmental Editor Energy Auditor quartered in Cambridge, Mass., a nonprofit partnership Environmental Impact Analyst Energy Planner of scientists and citizens combining scientific analysis, Environmental Protection Specialist Environmental Affairs Director innovative policy development and effective citizen advo- Environmental Researcher Environmental Analyst cacy to achieve practical environmental solutions. Forest Ecologist Environmental Communications By the time he retired 22 years later as president, Ris Forest Economist Environmental Economist had helped the organization expand from a handful of Forest Examiner Environmental Lobbyist scientists focused on nuclear arms control and national Forest Pathologist Environmental Marketing Representative energy policy to a multi-issue environmental organiza- Forest Property Appraiser Environmental Planner tion tackling a range of public policy issues from climate Forest Recreationist Environmental Protection Assistant change to biotechnology and invasive species. Ris’ UCS Forest Resource Planner Environmental Scientist successes include enacting legislation that resulted in the Forestry Research Associate GIS Specialist introduction of hybrid cars; improving safety standards for Forest Wildlife Manager Hydrogeological Consultant nuclear facilities around the nation; enacting tax incen- GIS Program Manager Interpretive Naturalist tives for renewable energy which have allowed alternate Horticultural Program Coordinator Land Use Planner technologies to gain solid footing; and mobilizing the sci- Horticultural Specialist Legislative Fellow entific community to demonstrate consensus on the need Hydrologist Legislative Science Assistant for action on climate change. Interpretive Naturalist Natural Resources Economist After leaving UCS, Ris became a senior fellow at the Land Acquisition Specialist Natural Resource Legal Assistant World Economic Forum in Geneva, Switzerland where Land Claims Adjuster Nature Education Specialist he was a key figure in debates on such issues as global Land Use Economist Park Historian warming. Land Preservation Coordinator Park Manager He returned to the States in 2005 to take the helm of Legislative Science Advisor Public Lands Coordinator the New England Aquarium in Boston, Mass., as president Logging Safety Representative Recycled Paper Promoter and CEO. He spent the last nine years revitalizing Boston’s Natural Resource Coordinator Recycling Coordinator popular aquarium and marine conservation organization Natural Resource Scientist Regulatory Specialist before retiring from that post in 2014. Nursery Manager Research Associate It is to ESF’s George Curry that Ris attributes his ability Outdoor Recreation Planner Resource Planner to break complex issues into smaller components and Park and Recreation Supervisor Resources Policy Analyst arrive at a solution. “Professor Curry was a very instru- Park Interpretive Specialist Science Education Specialist mental figure in my life. He taught me that no problem Park Manager Science Educator was too big to solve, and he gave me the skills — and the Park Naturalist Science Teacher confidence — to do it.” Park Planner Wilderness Survival Instructor “In those early days of the graduate program in the Park Ranger Watershed Conservation Specialist School of Landscape Architecture, there was a great sense Public Recreation Specialist of idealism - a lot of it inspired by our principal mentor, Range Conservationist Professor Curry. He helped us understand where the pro- Forest and Natural Resources Range Manager fession of landscape architecture fit into the larger scheme Management Range Scientist of things — especially how the natural world and human Adirondack Park Project Assistant Refuge Forester society intersect — and how we could make the world a Arborist Research Forester better place.” Assistant Professor Science Writer Biometrician Seed Orchard Manager Chief Naturalist Silviculturist Coastal Analyst Forester Soil Conservationist Coastal Zone Management Specialist Soil Scientist Community Forestry Specialist Surveyor

3 Success Stories Timber Management Specialist Timber Procurement Analyst Tree Improvement Forester Ana Maria Menezes Tree Nursery Supervisor Environmental and Natural Tropical Forest Researcher Resources, Ph.D., ’08 Urban Forester Growing up in Mozambique, Ana Urban Park Program Coordinator Maria Menezes decided she would Urban Park Service Manager find a career that allowed her to Urban Tree Manager speak — and seek justice — for Water Management Staff Scientist those whose voices are not heard Watershed Forester by people in positions of power. Woodlands Manager Landscaper Park Engineer A Fulbright Scholarship brought Park Landscape Architect her to ESF, where she earned her Ranger School – A.A.S. Parks and Recreation Planner Ph.D. in environmental and natural Forest Technology, Surveying Planning Specialist resources in 2008. She focused on artisanal fisheries. At the and Conservation Programs Recreation Planner same time, she studied public administration at the nationally ranked Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Arborculturist Regional Planner Syracuse University. Arborist Site Planner After graduation from ESF, Menezes headed to Washington, Assistant Forest Ranger Transportation Planner D.C., and a position with the United Nations’ Food and Agricul- Biotechnician tural Organization, where she and her colleagues researched Civil Technician Paper and Bioprocess solutions to a potential global fish crisis. Conservation Technician Engineering Menezes is a full-time consultant for the U.N. Environmen- Entomology Research Assistant Fiber Products Technical Director tal Programme, working on environmental mainstreaming and Environmental Technician Paper Chemist adaption to climate change. She describes her job as strength- Fish and Wildlife Technician Paper Coating Engineer ening the environmental knowledge of decision-makers and Forest Consultant Paper Machine Engineer supporting the integration of environmental considerations in Forest Technician Paper Mill Manager the development of governmental policy, and supporting local Forestry Contractor Paper Production Engineer environmental plans through the participatory processes. Land Surveyor Paper Researcher “The best thing I got from ESF was improving my analytical Lumber Buyer Paper Testing Engineer skills and the exposure to different ways of looking at the same Lumber Grader Plant Environmental Manager thing,” Menezes said. “The interaction with other people and Park Ranger Pollution Control Advisor their experiences around the world is priceless if one wants not Parks and Recreation Specialist Process Control Supervisor only to be a good researcher but to excel in his/her profession Procurement Forester Process Engineer and as a human being.” Recreation Technician Product Development Specialist Soil/Water Technician Product Evaluation Specialist Surveyor (Construction & Forest) Project Engineer Timber Cruiser Don Moore Quality Control Supervisor Timber Inventory Technician Environmental and Forest Biology, Researcher Vegetative Control Supervisor B.S. ’76, Ph.D. ’01 Sales Representative Wetland Ecologist Don Moore thought he knew Supervisor of Pulp Testing a major conservation problem Technical Manager when he saw one. Then he Landscape Architecture Technical Service Engineer Adirondack Park Project Specialist started working with Polar Bears Architectural Estimator International, an organization dedi- CADD Operator cated to stewardship of the world’s City Planner largest land predator. Coastal Zone Resource Specialist “I’ve worked on conservation Community Planner problems that I thought were big and compared to this, they Design Associate were small,” said Moore, expressing his concern about global Engineering Draftsman climate change and the effect it’s having on the habitat of Environmental Planner polar bears. Environmental Project Manager Moore is the director of animal care at the Smithsonian GIS Mapper National Zoo in Washington, D.C., where he is responsible for Highway Landscape Architect creating conservation and animal management plans for the zoo. Historic Preservation Architect Animal care scientists are “the front line for getting infor- Historic Preservation Officer mation out to the public,” he said. They design complex zoo Horticultural Specialist habitats and provide interpretation and conservation education. Junior Environmental Designer Moore also serves as a scientific advisor to Polar Bears Land Use Planner International, a non-profit organization that works toward the Land Use Planning Supervisor worldwide conservation of the polar bear and its habitat. He Landscape Architect said focusing on polar bears helps highlight the need for conser- Landscape Contractor vation. He offers simple ways for people to help save the Arctic Landscape Designer ecosystem and in turn the polar bear. “Turn off lights and tele- visions. Reduce garbage and consumption, recycle, reduce your carbon footprint. Save energy and save polar bears.” Success Stories

Holly Andersen Construction Management, B.S., ’01

Being a woman in the construc- tion field can be challenging, but 2001 ESF graduate Holly Andersen has a construction management position that she not only loves but that puts her professional know-how to the test. Examples of Employers Hiring ESF Graduates As the sole construction project Abbott Labs Hanford Pharmaceuticals manager in Bennington College’s lively planning office, Adirondack Park Agency Hayner Hoyt Corporation Andersen has spent the last several years helping reshape the Albany Molecular Research Hercules Inc. college’s Vermont campus. In her role, she plans and oversees AmGen Hueber-Breuer Construction all projects involving capital construction, from blueprint, American Museum of Natural History International Paper Co. through the actual building process, to project completion Appleton Papers, Inc. International Telephone & Telegraph Co. and close out. ARCADIS James River Corp. Recently Andersen helped Bennington College take a big AT&T John Deere Corp. step toward its long-range goal of carbon neutrality. Through Atlantic Testing Labs Inc. Kimberly-Clark Corp. a partnership with Efficiency Vermont, a nonprofit state Bank of America Land Design North energy organization, the college reduced its energy usage by Blasland, Bouck & Lee, Inc. LeChase Construction Services 12.4 percent in two years. Boise Cascade Corp. Marcal Paper Co. Communicating face-to-face whenever possible and Bristol-Myers Squibb Company Marine Science Consortium making sure that faculty and staff members are informed Calgon Corp. Mead Westvaco not only of a project’s design intent but also when to expect Camp, Dresser & McKee Mobile Chemical Co. disruptions to their normal routines — such as noisy con- Carborundum Corp. Monsanto Company struction activities — we are some of strategies she likes to Centex Homes Mt. State Surveying Co. use, she said. Champion International Corp. National Grid “The skills I gained at ESF have been critical,” she said. City of Syracuse National Park Service “My professors taught me the fundamentals of working Clough, Harbor & Associates National Science Foundation with teams and the ability to communicate throughout Continental Can Corp. New York Botanical Gardens a project.” Corning Inc. New York City Planning Department Her advisors at ESF also helped her get an internship C&S Engineers New York City Parks Department with Northeast Construction Company during the summer of CH2M Hill New York State Assembly 2000 that played a huge role in helping Andersen realize she CS Environmental Labs New York State Department of wanted to dedicate her career to construction and planning. Cummings Nature Center Environmental Conservation The internship experience gave Andersen a sense of what Defense Mapping Agency New York State Department of Health it would be like to work in construction full-time, she said Diamond Shamrock New York State Parks & Recreation - everything from wearing work boots to interacting with Domtar Paper New York State Department of other professional construction workers, designers, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Transportation and owners. Dow Chemical New York State Power Authority “I can’t imagine having a more fun job,” Andersen said. “I e2e Materials LLC. Oak Ridge National Laboratory get to work with amazing people and help make Bennington Eastman Kodak Co. O’Brien & Gere Engineering better every day. On any given day I can go from a priority- Eastern Mountain Sports Oneida County Planning Department setting meeting with the president, to uncovering a steam edr Companies Oneida Research Corp. leak in a ditch, to a planning session with faculty and staff Energy Answers Corp. Osmose Wood Preserving members, to inspecting work needed in a mechanical room Environmental Defense Fund Owens Corning Fiberglass or up on a roof. I love it.” Finch Pruyn Inc. Packaging Corp. of America Fairfax County School District Potomac Electric & Power Co. Federal Paper Board Co. Pratt Industries Fisher Landscape Associates Proctor & Gamble Corp. Fleetwood Homes Inc. Purcell Construction Corp. Florida Department of Forestry RockTenn/Solvay Paperboard Forecon Inc. Saratoga Associates Inc. General Electric Corp. Savannah River Ecology Lab Genesee Land Trust Schenectady Chemicals Inc. Georgia Pacific Corp. Schlumbergen Inc. Goulds Pumps Inc. SeaWorld Greenpeace Seatuck Environmental Association IBM Stearns & Wheler Engineers Idaho Department of Fish and Game Stickley Furniture Haden Stanziale St. Joseph’s Hospital

5 Success Stories Syracuse Research Corp. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Taconic Outdoor Education Center Rochester Institute of Technology Taylor Biomass Energy Rutgers University Tenneco Corp. SUNY-Albany Texon Inc. SUNY-Binghamton Wendy Andringa Texas Parks and Wildlife SUNY-Buffalo Landscape Architect, B.S. ’04 The Nature Conservancy SUNY-ESF U.S. Army Corps of Engineers SUNY-Stony Brook Wendy Andringa, a land- U.S. Bureau of Land Management SUNY-Upstate Medical University scape architect, works at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Syracuse University forefront of public and resi- U.S. Forest Service Temple University-Dentistry dential projects in New York U.S. Geological Survey Texas A&M University City and beyond, but it was U.S. Park Service University of Arizona her interest in designing plant- U.S. Peace Corps University of Barcelona (Spain) scapes in challenging growing conditions that led her to USG Corp. University of Bergan (Norway) create Greenlab Studio in 2011 while working in Colorado. Westinghouse Electric Co. University of California at Berkeley Because green walls are vertical structures, they present Weyerhaeuser Co. University of Cincinnati different challenges than those of traditional horizontal Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute University of Colorado green roofs. World Wildlife Fund University of Connecticut Greenlab Studio is an experimental laboratory that Xerox Corp. University of Delaware designs, builds and tests green walls, which are basically University of Florida vertical versions of the more widely used green roof con- Some Graduate Schools University of Georgia cept. “I wanted to make things and test ideas that I had,” Attended by ESF Students University of Idaho Andringa said. University of Illinois Conducting research on green walls has also helped Albany Law School University of Kansas keep her creative process fresh and active. American University University of Maine “When you’re spending as much time as landscape Boston College Law School University of Maryland architects do in the office doing drawings, it’s good to Boston University University of Massachusetts get out of the office environment to keep your creativity Brown University University of Michigan active,” she said. Clemson University University of Minnesota “Green walls are tricky,” she said. “The technology is Columbia University University of Montana still kind of young and there is a high failure rate that I was Cornell University University of Nevada curious about.” Andringa began building modules and Duke University University of New Hampshire testing them, looking at issues such as drainage and how Georgetown University Law School University of North Carolina to get water to the plants. “There are a number of practical Johns Hopkins University University of Notre Dame concerns,” she noted. Kansas State Veterinary Medicine University of Pennsylvania When Andringa returned to New York City in 2012 Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Rhode Island to work at Starr Whitehouse, she brought her research Michigan State University University of Rochester lab with her and expanded it to include more general New York Medical College University of Southern California design research. North Carolina State University University of Tennessee “I think the (plantscape) research applies better in New Northeastern Law School University of Vermont York — there’s more practical use,” she said. “Colorado is Northwestern University University of Victoria (Canada) so abundantly green, the beautiful landscape is all around Ohio State Veterinary Medicine University of Waterloo (Canada) you. What I’m doing applies more to urban environments.” Oklahoma State University University of Wisconsin At Starr Whitehouse, she is an associate landscape Oregon State University Vanderbilt University architect leading a team of designers in creative landscape Pace University Law School Vermont Law School projects. She is involved in design and development of Pennsylvania State University Virginia Polytechnic Institute modular green infrastructure strategies to help miti- Princeton University West Virginia University gate urban stormwater issues in New York City. She also Purdue University Yale University teaches public workshops that create awareness of the need for stormwater mitigation through green walls and green roofs. During her time at ESF, Andringa had no idea she would branch off in the direction she eventually followed. “ I knew I was going to work in New York City and I never thought I’d leave, but I’m so glad I did. I’m so glad I took that opportunity (to move to Colorado),” she said. “Going out of your comfort zone puts you in a different mindset where you’re willing to try different things,” she said. “I was in a new environment with what seemed like unlimited space and resources so I just did it.”

6 © David Lamb Photography

For Admissions information, contact: Office of Undergraduate Admissions SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Gateway Center 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse, New York 13210 315-470-6600 n Fax: 315-470-6933

For more information on ESF Careers, contact: Office of Career and Counseling Services SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry 110 Bray Hall 1 Forestry Drive Syracuse, New York 13210 315-470-6660 n Fax: 315-470-4728

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