The Master of Science in Environmental Management (MSEM) program is designed with a focus on preparing students to launch meaningful, successful careers after graduation. The program collaborates with alumni, local leaders and government connections in the industry to ensure graduates are professionally ready to enter (or re-enter) the workforce as well-informed, well-connected subject matter experts.
In today’s blog we’re highlighting just two of the many facets of MSEM’s approach to ensuring our students succeed: the standing Environmental Management Advisory Board, responsible for guiding the program’s direction, and the Career Council Forum, held bi-annually to advise faculty on the most critical knowledge and skills needed by our students.
Environmental Management Advisory Board: Keeping the Curriculum at the Leading Edge
What is needed in the industry is constantly evolving. To ensure that the curriculum is up-to-date and our graduates exit the program as desirable job candidates, the MSEM program maintains the Environmental Management Advisory Board, a network of dedicated industry professionals and leaders to guide the program and connect students with opportunities. Their work spans environmental consulting, conservation, climate resilience, data science and sustainable agriculture in the government, private industry and nonprofit sectors. These experts, many of whom are USF alumni, help keep the curriculum aligned with industry needs and identify new opportunities for networking and partnerships.
Members such as Erika Carrillo Sagrafena (SWCA Environmental Consultants), Xavier Fernandez (San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board), and Melissa Foley (San Francisco Estuary Institute) bring decades of experience in environmental science and management to the table. Their insights ensure that MSEM students’ learning goes beyond theory and remains applicable to today’s complex environmental landscape.
Advisory Board members are also available to provide valuable mentorship and perspective, especially as alumni of the program themselves.
The Arts & Sciences Career Council: Looking to the Future of the Industry
Earlier this month, USF hosted the Arts and Sciences Career Council Forum, a bi-annual event that brings together industry professionals, faculty and alumni to help students explore emerging career trends. This particular meeting was in honor of the college’s centennial and was focused around reflection on the past as we look to the future. The discussions were organized around key themes identified in the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, ranging from AI literacy and creativity to resilience and communication, and grounded in real-world experience.
Through table sessions, students and faculty engaged in conversations about the skills and mindsets most essential to success in future environmental careers. These exchanges provided our students valuable advice, mentorship and insight while strengthening their connections with the professionals shaping the field.
Keeping Pace with a Changing World
Environmental challenges are complex and constantly evolving. The Advisory Board and the Career Council are just two of the ways the MSEM program ensures that its students are on the cutting-edge of scientific knowledge, but more importantly equipped with the adaptability required to respond to a changing world. These initiatives ensure graduates have the know-how and connections to land the job they want.
This is just the start of MSEM’s adaptive response to education in the complexity of today’s world — stay tuned for more initiatives coming soon!
