Alumni

Below are updates from Environmental Science and Studies program alumni. Send us updates on what you are doing.

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Alumni updates

Twa-le Abrahamson is a graduate of our program (2002) and is now an environmental advocate for the Spokane tribe.  Listen to her interview.

"I'm a health physicist for the navy (civilian). I do their environmental monitoring for their nuclear power program. I was here [Japan] when the big earthquake hit that caused the tsunami that caused the nuclear reactor accident. I didn't "voluntarily depart", I was doing surveys and sampling for the Fukushima Fallout. It was crazy! It was very good experience for my career. Hopefully once in a lifetime :) Some of the data I collected was used to brief the president and allow people to come back to the base who departed. When I go back home I will work in Bremerton.

-Nina Volk, class of 2007

'"Since graduation, I earned my teaching certification and now teach science and math classes."

-Angela Benge, class of 2003

"I worked for Customs & Border Patrol doing Agricultural inspections on the U.S Mexico border for about a year. I recently transferred to FDA as an investigator. I investigate FDA regulated products that are imported from other countries to make sure they comply with U.S laws."

-Timothy Dillavou, Class of 2007

" [I am a] Cofounder of a grassroots environmental organization based on the Spokane Indian Reservation in Eastern Washington. The major focus of this organization is addressing the effects of historical uranium mining to an indigenous community. We focus on educating and empowering the community to learn about the toxins that they have been exposed to and encourage them to participate in the decision making processes related to the cleanup of the Midnite Uranium Mine, now a Superfund site."

-Twa-le Abrahamson, Class of 2002

"I work as a defense contractor on architectural drafting, performing multivariate statistical data analyses, and engineering software."

-Lindsay France, Class of 2008

"After graduating, I worked for a year at UW Friday Harbor Labs as a research assistant on seagrasses, working on projects collaborating with USGS, WDNR, Washington State Parks, and other groups. In Spring 2009, I will be graduating from Arizona State University's School of Sustainability with a Masters of Science."

-Zachary Hughes, Class of 2006

"[I] Completed MS at WSU and am now working at the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center in the Office of the Director , developing new programs. Also Project Mnager for Department of Ecology's new City of Puyallup/WSU Stormwater Mnagement Project at the Center. Creating WSU Wetlands Educational Site and developing restoration project for Clarks Creek."

-Tanyalee Erwin, Class of 2005

"For the past five years now I have been working in the environmental consulting world. I started out as a environmental scientist/geologist and I am now a project manager. All my work is with big oil. The work I do is environmental remediation at retail sites (gas stations). Dealing with leaking underground storage tanks. Petroleum hydrocarbon impacted soils and groundwater.

Other than that I live in Orange County, southern California with my wife."

-Daniel Arden, Class of 2003

"I started work as a watershed ambassador (AmeriCorps) for Sussex County, NJ. It's the best. I'm getting lots of hands on training, making contacts, and providing service to the community. I reccomend it to any new graduate."

-Jeffrey Smith, Class of 2008

Added September 15th, 2008:

• Jessica Asplund, BS Environmental Science, was featured in the Tacoma News Tribune for her work responding to Hurricane Ike.  "Hurricane eyewitnesses to the havoc and the helping"
• Jeannine Riss, BA Environmental Studies, comments on removing knotweed in her current position as a Volunteer Coordinator with Citizens for a Healthy Bay.  "Fight to break knotweed's hold in Pierce County"