Jennifer Biringer

International Relations and Environmental Policy, 2000
World Wildlife Fund

Dan Basoli

BA/MA, Energy and Environmental Analysis, 2004
Research Analyst, LECG

Catherine Campbell

BA/MA, Energy and Environmental Policy, 2003
Special Assistant to the Associate Administrator,
EPA Policy Office in Washington

As an alum from the BA/MA program focusing on Energy and Environmental Policy, I find that the beauty of the CEES curriculum is that it is interdisciplinary; the program allows students to gain an understanding of the diverse aspects of the field of environmental policy. In my capacity as Special Assistant at the EPA, I work with environmental issues that range from risk assessment to the effectiveness and efficiency of voluntary programs. My experience at Boston University prepared me for this role by providing a wide range of courses that required analytical thinking and problem solving; both of these skills have proved invaluable in my field. Further, the BU Washington Internship program set up the connections that ultimately helped me achieve my current position. I also am attending Georgetown Law and hope to consult on environmental policy at some point in the future. Without the CEES program, I would not have my current job, that I love, nor would I be as confident that I can move on in my field. (11/03)

Janice Poling

MA, International Relations and Environmental Policy, 2003
Presidential Management Fellow,
Energy Information Administration

The flexibility in the IREP program at Boston University allowed me to tailor my degree around my interest in international environmental policy, particularly as it affects developing countries. During my two years at BU I was able to take classes not only within the IR department and CEES, but also from the economics department, and the School of Public Health. Learning about environmental policy, an inherently multidisciplinary concept, from a variety of perspectives provided me with a real understanding of the cross-cutting issues involved. In my current position at the Energy Information Administration within the U.S. Department of Energy, I have been working on two major issues: (1) gathering information related to the growing market for Liquefied Natural Gas; and (2) writing about international energy-related environmental issues (generally climate change and air and water pollution from power plant emissions).

Sandra Valle

MA, Energy and Environmental Analysis, 2002

The flexibility in the CEES program at Boston University allowed me to tailor my concentration around my interest in the interactive components of sustainable development. My course work, consisting of primarily economics, GIS, policy, modeling, and natural science, gave me a solid foundation of technical, analytical, and computational skills. This breadth of capability gives my employers the confidence that I can address and complete any task that is presented. From my job at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority where I started off by determining the transportation relatedness of development projects in the Boston area, to my job with Peregrine Energy Group where I began by proposing a subsidy payment plan for photovoltaic production in Massachusetts, my responsibilities always grow quickly thanks to the various skills I acquired from my course work. Currently I am employed at the Association for Energy Affordability in New York City, where I was hired as a resource; someone who could complete any project that comes along. I was perceived to be someone who had undertaken course work that required me to look at situations holistically and is capable of applying this to an organization that is compiled of traditionally segregated departments. CEES provides a sound educational foundation for students to stand on and move forward.

Davina Wysin

BUCOP, Energy and Environmental Policy/ Journalism, 2002
Environmental Justice Specialist, EPA New England

What attracted me to BU was its collaborative degree program (BUCOP) which allowed me to simultaneously earn two undergraduate degrees– a B.A. in Energy and Environmental Policy and a B.S. in Journalism. The skills I acquired in my journalism and environmental courses prepared me to effectively communicate complex environmental policy issues in my current role as an Environmental Justice (EJ) Specialist for EPA New England. I write, edit and design a newsletter that goes out to 1200 subscribers and provides information on EJ-related laws and policies, enforcement actions, funding and public involvement opportunities, and local projects. My office provides a great deal of training and guidance for employees on how to incorporate EJ considerations in their day-to-day work, and because the EJ Program is relatively new at EPA, it is exciting to think that some of the guidance and other products I’ve helped develop might someday be implemented nationally. I am also responsible for responding to internal and external requests for information and complaints, which requires familiarity, and a great deal of coordination, with all of the other programmatic offices in the region. The broad-based education I received at CEES prepared me to understand the interconnections between my work and all of the other programs at EPA.

Yabanex Batista

MA, International Relations and Environmental Policy 2000
Global Environmental Facility, World Bank

My experience in the CEES/IR MA Program was exceptional and played a significant role in shaping my professional career. The Program gave me the opportunity to acquire excellent knowledge, skills and understanding on international environmental issues. Course selection and professor's flexibility allowed me to focus in my area of interest: Latin America, Forestry and Climate Change. Also, the friendly environment among students and professors is a great characteristic of the program. After graduating I worked at the Instituto de Pesquisa Ambiental da Amazônia -IPAM (Amazon Environmental Research Institute), an NGO based in Belém, Brazil, on their Climate Change Policy Program. As part of my experience I participated in various United Nations Climate Change Conferences as an NGO representative as well as other climate change conferences and seminars in Brazil and other countries. In June 2002, I joined the World Bank's Global Environmental Facility (GEF) Anchor, where I am part of the Latin America & Caribbean Region Department.

Jennifer Biringer

MA, International Relations and Environmental Policy, 2000
World Wildlife Fund

BU's program in International Relations and Resource and Environmental Management provided a broad understanding of the field of international environmental policy that included economic, social and environmental issues. I also gained assistance from my advisor in a fellowship program that gave me hands on experience. This background helped prepare me for a position in the World Wildlife Fund where I focus on international forest policy, focusing on illegal logging issues in Indonesia, Peru and Cameroon; and climate change and forest policy issues.

Karen C. Seto

MA, International Relations and Environmental Policy, 1995
Ph.D., Geography, 2000
Senior Research Scholar Center for Environmental Science and Policy Institute for International Studies Stanford University

My research focuses on land use change and sustainable development. I use a variety of approaches and data (e.g., remote sensing, field surveys, economic) to answer real-world questions about policy and the environment. Through the joint IR/CEES program, I was able to pursue my interests in development issues and environmental policy. CEES provided me with strong multidisciplinary, theoretical, and analytical tools for synthesizing disparate information and evaluating Earth as a system. This integrated systems-oriented framework has been integral in shaping my ideas and invaluable in all components of my work. In short, the program and faculty at CEES have been fundamental aspects of my research career!

David Rosenberg

MA, Energy and Environmental Analysis, 1994

The thing that has most stuck with me from my CEES experience is the ability--and confidence--to critically challenge prevailing neoclassical economic thinking. I hear the standard assumptions made by economists and I know where they miss the mark on environmental issues. In my work, I must bring credible arguments to the table to persuade senior management to look differently at the world. The grounding that I recieved in environmental economics at CEES provides a starting point for doing that.

David Rosenberg is Director and co-founder of the Utz Kapeh Foundation.  Utz Kapeh (which means "good coffee" in a Maya language from Northern Guatemala) is a unique partnership between coffee brands, producers and civil society to improve and protect the economic, social and environmental conditions of coffee growers all over the world.