Alumni Highlight

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Green Building for a Better World , article
Ten years ago, when the term “sustainable development” was just starting to gain traction in Korea, I was beginning my career as an international “green building” specialist. The timing was perfect. I was new to the field, and as part of my role with a major construction project, I had the opportunity to complete a professional certificate in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). Little did I know that it was the first step in a much longer journey that would literally take me around the world, including to the United States and India.
Date: Jan 24, 2019
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Sustainable Urban Planning , article
Online Master of Natural Resources (Online MNR) graduate, Allison Homer, is among the first employees at the brand new DC branch of EXP, an international firm which offers environmental planning, civil engineering, transportation, architecture, infrastructure, and sustainability services. Each day, Allison uses her experiences from the GMNR program courses, international field experiences, and her previous work to plan and implement sustainable transportation, environmental, and city planning solutions for the Mid Atlantic region.
Date: Jan 10, 2019
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Park Ranger to MNR to PhD , article
Online Master of Natural Resources (Online MNR) program alumnus Ernesto Acosta is now applying his sustainability education and experiences to his research efforts as a doctoral student in Virginia Tech’s Planning, Governance, and Globalization (PGG) program. As he works on his dissertation, he often reflects on why the MNR program was so integral to achieving his educational and research goals.
Date: Oct 29, 2018
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Developing Resilience , article
Two recent alumni of the Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) program are serving as skill-based volunteers in the nonprofit sector and are playing active leadership roles in Virginia’s environmental resilience. Ellen Graap Loth and Vestal Tutterow work in environmental consulting at Cardno and as program management at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, respectively, but have recently reconnected as board members in the organization, Resilient Virginia, a group dedicated to the vitality of Virginian communities.
Date: Sep 24, 2018
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Confidence to Lead Sustainably , article
In her former role at the U.S. Department of Commerce, Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) alumna, Becky Long, discovered her passion for sustainability while working with international business leaders across different industries.
Date: Sep 17, 2018
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Leadership and Career Change , article
Executive Master of Natural Resources (XMNR) program alumnus Hugo Mogollon had been conducting fieldwork for nearly a decade in Ecuador for the nonprofit Finding Species, before deciding to pursue a managerial role within the organization, graduate school, and then a career change with Community Foodworks in Washington, D.C.
Date: Sep 10, 2018
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Drinking in Global Sustainability – Part II , article
[In Part I of this two-part series, Master of Natural Resources (MNR) alumnus Lindsay Key chronicled her arrival in Zagreb, Croatia, to meet with Dr. Anamaria Bukvic and students enrolled in the MNR program’s course on Global Issues in Natural Resources, which includes a 10-day International Field Experience (IFE). In this installment, Lindsay offers an insider’s view to the IFE students’ trip to Rovinj, Pula, and Karlovac, where they met local leaders to discuss the challenges facing communities along the Adriatic Sea.]
Date: Aug 20, 2018
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Designing Sustainable Landscapes , article
Nicole Hersch is a recent Masters of Natural Resources (MNR) graduate who combined her studies in sustainability with the Masters of Landscape Architecture (MLA) program at Virginia Tech. She aims to pair her skills in landscape design with an advanced sense of ecology through a cultural perspective.
Date: Aug 20, 2018
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Drinking in Global Sustainability – Part I , article
Croatians have a lot to be proud of this summer with the country’s successes in the World Cup. But another long-standing point of pride in Croatia is the quality of its water.
Date: Aug 13, 2018
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A New Focus on Wetland Functions , article
I have always enjoyed the outdoors. Playing in the creek behind my childhood home, building zip lines in the woods with my brother, riding horses, hiking with my grandparents, camping with my father, and gardening with my mother and grandmother are some of my fondest childhood memories. While I still enjoy these activities, I now have a greater appreciation for nature. After studying and practicing wetland science, I realize that nature is not only beautiful; it is also beneficial. Wetlands provide many ecosystem services that benefit all living things – water filtration, flood protection, nutrient cycling, groundwater recharge, and wildlife habitat are just a few. Worldwide, wetland ecosystem services are valued at over 14.9 trillion dollars (EPA, 2016).
Date: Jul 30, 2018