Vol. II - June 2009
In This Issue
About MES
You’ll take courses across the University and collaborate with Penn’s world-class researchers and practitioners in the physical, biological, and social sciences, economics, and other arts and sciences disciplines, as well as professionals in planning, engineering, business, health care, and the law. Gain the breadth needed to address complex issues of the environment while you develop the depth required to provide specific expertise in environmental restoration and protection. More>
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Who Is the Ideal MES Student?
"Because environmental studies is so interdisciplinary you can't really put your finger on any one potential student and say this is the perfect candidate," says Master of Environmental Studies program director Yvette Bordeaux. "But it's absolutely fascinating to look at the range of our students".
Some students enter the program right out of college while others are looking for a career change or have been working in the environmental field all along. There have been at least a couple of lawyers in the program, and this fall a pediatrician who is interested in environmental health for children is joining the program.
"It's a great benefit to have a mix of students in the classroom—professionals, students from abroad, people from outside the field, and students right out of college who might be a little more idealistic but who have great ideas. It's the neatest thing to hear all of their perspectives," says Dr. Bordeaux.
"The interdisciplinary nature of MES is reflected in the many different directions our students go in," she continues. "The variety is unbelievably exciting. Every student comes in with a different story. It's the same program, but they're all doing different things. Some are working abroad, and others are focusing on local issues in Philadelphia".
MES students are currently working on Capstone topics in faraway lands, including a study of sustainable fishing in the Amazon and health, water, and sanitation issues in Nigeria in view of the U.N.'s Millennium Development goals. Others choose study issues closer to home, such as land preservation efforts in the Philadelphia area and invasive species of plants sold by local nurseries, complete with recommendations of native plant alternatives.
"We really absolutely encourage our students to focus on a project that is going to get used," says Dr. Bordeaux. We discourage 'phone book theses' that no one reads. We want to see projects that will really be implemented. That's the most exciting part of the program—to have these students in the classroom, train them, and see them go out and make a difference. It might seem corny, but they really are making a difference."
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