Miami University
Miami University's undergraduate programs are known for their high quality. Miami offers small class sizes and close interactions with faculty typical of small liberal-arts colleges,and the breadth and diversity of opportujity found at large universities.
Undergraduates on Chicago field trip

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  • ABBY JAMESON- After graduating from Miami in May of 2004 with a abbyBA in Geography and a co-major in Environmental Science, I was searching and applying for all kinds of jobs in anything related to my degree.  Within a few months an opportunity that had first presented itself in the form of an internship the summer before led to a seasonal position as a forestry technician for the US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho.  The summer between my junior and senior years at Miami, I had completed a summer internship in forestry with the BLM through the Student Conservation Association (SCA).  I was then hired on as a summer seasonal during the summers of 2004 and 2005.  During my three summers with the BLM, I conducted many forest inventory and reforestation surveys as well as obtaining practical experience with GIS, GPS, and learning more about different forestry practices all while spending summer days hiking around in the mountains of the beautiful Idaho panhandle.  I also participated in controlled burns as a wildland firefighter during my third summer at the BLM.--
    This past summer I had the wonderful opportunity to work for the US Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station in Southeast Alaska performing biomass surveys on Prince of Wales Island, which holds the distinction of being the third largest island in the US, after Kodiak Island and the big island of Hawaii.  I worked as part of a seasonal field crew collecting data for a study on logging practices and the resulting black-tailed deer habitat. 

    During the winters since I've been out of school, I lived and worked in the eastern Sierra Nevadas (just east of Yosemite National Park) as a winter seasonal at June Mountain and Mammoth Mountain Ski Areas.  I also spent the summer and fall of 2006 in the Sierras as a seasonal visitor use assistant for the Inyo National Forest. My job consisted mainly of answering questions about the area, explaining rules and regulations, and issuing fuelwood cutting and wilderness permits.
     
    I definitely feel that my SCA experience was a great foot-in-the-door in terms of government jobs and a good introduction to the seasonal lifestyle.  Working seasonally for the past 3 years has been a great way to see different parts of the country and meet people from all over the world as well as providing me with the opportunity to experience varied positions and develop new skills."

  • MICHELLE CORRIGAN (Geography Major with Environmental Science Co-Major and Urban and Regional Planning Minor) Graduated May, 2004 – I began looking for geography jobs before graduating from Miami in May, 2004. I was not able to find a job in the geography field right away and needed to start work as quickly as possible to begin paying off my student loans. So, I began working as an Account Manager in Pharmacy Benefit Management in Twinsburg, Ohio – not exactly what a geographer wants to do. After succumbing to the desk job for almost 3 years, I decided enough was enough! I took the GRE’s and applied for graduate school at Ohio University. I was accepted to begin studying at Ohio University in September of 2007. To ensure going to graduate school would enable me to obtain a job in the geography field; I took a look at Craig’s List every so often (www.craigslist.com with a key word search of GIS) to search for jobs on the West Coast. From this search, I found a job that sparked my interest and I had to apply – just to see what would happen! The posting was for a GeoImmersive Data Producer for a company called Immersive Media based out of Portland, Oregon. I was offered the job and accepted with the condition of Ohio University allowing me to defer my graduate position until September of 2008. As a GeoImmersive Data Producer, I travel from city to city around the US creating video maps. Our VW Bug is equipped with a 360 degree video camera on the roof of the car and several spatial measurement devices, so that the video can be georeferenced. Thus far, this data has been used for Google Maps Street View and can also be purchased by the various cities for a number of planning purposes. After traveling around the country, I plan on continuing my education in geography at Ohio University, focusing on natural hazards and environmental planning.
    carrie
  • CARRIE MAGNUSON- (B.A. Geography, B.S. Business, May 2005)  -- cmagnuson@cesolutions.org.  Three weeks after I graduated in May of 2005, I headed down to Guatemala to work for Community Enterprise Solutions (www.cesolutions.org), a small development organization.  CE Solutions is non-profit and completely coincidentally my boss is a Miami grad.  We have a bunch of different projects, but almost everything we do revolves around building sustainable businesses for local people to run.  One project I work on involves training local women to give simple eye exams and then teaching them business basics so they can create their own business selling glasses in rural communities (www.scojofoundation.org).  In November of 2005, I started a recycled paper business, New Life Cards (www.newlifecards.com) with a young Guatemalan woman.  We only expected to continue it through the holidays, but because of high demand we have kept it going and are finding success. CE Solutions also works on many projects in coordination with other organizations here in Guatemala, for example Water for People.  I’m meeting a ton of people and have been exposed to many diverse development organizations.  Because I work for a small non-profit I really get to see everything that goes on and I’m learning a lot.  In the 9 months I have been here I have had the opportunity and continue to: manage people, build websites, consult on a variety of businesses, run a business in partnership with a Guatemalan woman, among many other things.  I get to have my hand in almost everything CE Solutions is involved in.  This is definitely the most challenging job I could have imagined getting right out of college, but it is extremely rewarding.  Not only am I learning a lot from my job, I am getting to experience a foreign culture from the inside.  Guatemalans are extremely generous with what little they have and many of the people I work with have become like family to me.

    My biggest piece of advice is persistence and patience.  I started looking for a job at the beginning of my senior year and I accepted this job just a few days before graduation.  I sent my resume to every organization that looked interesting.  In looking for development or non-profit jobs, www.idealist.com is a great resource.  The one thing that worked to my advantage is that I studied international development abroad in Ecuador and spent a month volunteering in Peru, learning Spanish along the way.  Development work can often be difficult to get into and I think the most important thing to have on your resume is practical experience.

    CE Solutions typically has volunteer/internship opportunities available.  If you are interested, check out New Development Experience (www.newdevelopmentexperience.com) or Scojo Foundation (www.scojofoundation.org) or you can e-mail me with any questions at cmagnuson@cesolutions.org

    brendan
  • BRENDAN NAPLES (BA Geography and Zoology, 2003)- Being a geography major at Miami gave me the knowledge and confidence to pursue a path in conservation.  After graduating in the spring of 2003, I got an internship through Student Conservation Association (SCA) mapping invasive plant species and organizing "weed pulls" in Cuyahoga Valley National Park.  I later worked on sail boats in San Diego, then took a seasonal job with Tongass National Forest in Alaska. There I was a biotech for a sockeye salmon management project, and was lucky enough to spend most of my time in the backcountry.  Now I'm pursuing an M.S. degree in biology at Appalachian State in Boone, NC, and enjoying the Blue Ridge.  After this, I hope to pursue further studies in molecular ecology for applications in bioremediation
  • JESSICA BROWN (BA Geography, 2004)- My first position after graduating from Miami ijessbrownn May 2004 was a three month Environmental Decision Making Internship with the Joint Institute for Energy and Environment (JIEE).  Through this position I worked for two regionally important natural resource organizations, Discover Life in America (DLIA) and Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). While learning about DLIA and its contributions to science and biodiversity conservation I helped organize volunteers and gave presentations on the All Taxa Biodiversity Inventory that Discover Life In America operates. My work with GSMNP included participating with the hemlock wooly adelgid and exotics vegetation management crews which exposed me to the exotic vegetation removal process as well as the daily and long term vegetation management operations and decisions. I heard about the JIEE Internship in Environmental Decision Making through the environmental jobs website ecojobs.com.
                The JIEE internship served as a stepping stone from college coursework to real world applications and experience and helped give me a starting ground in field work that led to my positions at the Minnehaha Creek Watershed District (MCWD). The first five months at MCWD I worked as a District Representative doing erosion control inspections on single family home sites including outreach work to contractors and homeowners promoting BMP’s over the phone and in the field. I also created educational and location maps of the District using GIS, conducted storm water pond inspections, helped support the approval of a community based shoreline restoration project and reviewed permit applications. This past spring the MCWD started an internal water quality monitoring program and I decided to get my feet wet (literally) and work as the Water Quality Assistant. This position gave me the opportunity to learn more field techniques, taking stream sampling measurements for sediment and pollutant loads. I learned about the MCWD positions on the University of Minnesota Natural Resources College website.
               Currently I am working for the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) as a Geospatial Analyst. This was a position that I received an interview and job offer for from attending the Miami Fall Job Fair in September 2003. My work with NGA includes creating maps using ArcGIS software and remotely sensed imagery. -- and was recently accepted into an environmental science graduate program at John Hopkins University
  • Some recommendations from Jessica- I truly believe that experience outside of the academic institution and setting has contributed a very important component to my professional development. Although the experiences gained through working are unlike any other experiences I received at Miami, my coursework and academic knowledge was the backbone to not only obtaining the positions but also understanding and learning from them. Therefore, one of my recommendations would be to explore the working world for a year or two before thinking about going back to school. My feeling is that the experience you have outside of academia can provide more of a background for you to offer and contribute to a graduate academic setting as well as allow for you to explore your intended career path and identify what you are interested in further studying. It can be difficult to find a permanent entry level position right away but, I feel that staying with a position for longer than a few months adds more value to your professional development than it does to only work seasonal positions. I would also encourage you to contribute ideas, volunteer to help in other areas or work in as many areas as time allows in your job or office, taking initiative is never looked down upon. Getting involved and continually placing myself in an atmosphere surrounded by others that support and understand my career goals and interests have helped keep me inline with my career path which can be difficult once you leave the academic setting. Volunteer positions in the community have contributed to my professional development as well as helped provided connections and networking for me in different locations. Seeking out and having knowledge of organizations that work toward the goals that I set for myself have been important, including organizations that are in the private, public and academic areas.

    jill brown

  • JILL BROWN (BA Geography and Sociology, 2005)- On September 12th I started working for NOAA's (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) NOS (National Ocean Service) branch. NOAA is head quartered in Silver Spring, MD just north of Washington, DC. At NOAA, I specifically work with the Chart Update Service, which handles updates to nautical charts.  My job responsibilities include working with the weekly Local Notices to Mariners; applying critical corrections to the Raster Maps; assisting the Cartographers when their district is overloaded with corrections due to natural disasters or newly dredged areas; working with Electronic Navigation Charts; and, exploring the other NOAA branches while spending extra time in weekly seminars.  The seminars range in topics from researching the effects of global warming on coral calcification to studying new techniques for tracking marine life. The presentation "OBIS-SEAMAP- Describing the global distribution patterns of marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds," given by Dr. Andy Read & Dr. Pat Halpin from the Center for Marine Conservation, Nicholas School of the Environment & Earth Sciences at Duke University, has been my favorite seminar thus far.
              Being a NOAA Associate has been amazing!  Each day is different and exciting. Some days I work with applying the critical corrections from the Coast Guard. While other days, I am free to spend time in the Weather Service Branch or the Fisheries Division. Therefore, my responsibilities are narrow in scope but my options and exposure to other aspects of NOAA are unlimited. For example, my second week of work I was able to represent NOAA at the annual Sail Boat Show in Annapolis MD. I spoke to mariners about NOAA's nautical map products, which are free to the public and can be downloaded from our web site www.noaa.gov! In the future I'll be heading to Baltimore to experience navigating a barge. I have also been told I will have to opportunity to travel with the Coast Guard in Alaska, district 17, or in the Gulf Coast, district 8, for two weeks! Let's hope it's the latter of the two!!!
  • Some recommendations from Jill- I got this position by applying online at www.eco.org. I am not a governmental employee, rather, I am a contractor through ECO or Environmental Careers Organization. This NGO helps recent graduates find internships within the EPA, USGS, FWS, BLM, and NOAA. In my resume I highlighted my senior seminar project and summer research.  I sent samples of my work as well. I conducted a phone interview with my boss Richard Sillcox, Chief of NOAA Chart Update Service. During the interview I spoke about the classes I had taken at Miami. He seemed impressed by the depth of the Geography classes I had taken at Miami's Geography Department. I recommend taking classes with direct "real world application" like GIS and the more physical geography topics. However, the ability to discuss many topics and exposure to the more social side of geography should not be neglected! The combination of the two will get you the job!

  • nicolemihevicNICOLE MIHEVIC (BA Geography and Environmental Science, 2005)- Being an Education Intern at The Holden Arboretum is a fascinating experience.  This summer I was able to take part in Holden’s first huge event, which involved David Roger’s traveling exhibit of “Big Bugs” (wooden art sculptures).  I helped with the interpretation and implementation of several activities for families, which the last intern designed.  I am also involved in writing the weekly newsletter and the kid’s page for the bi-monthly magazine that is sent out to members of Holden to inform them of current events and classes offered. 
             One of the best parts about this job is that I get to use the skills and knowledge I gained by focusing my studies in physical-environmental geography.  As a geographer I understand the relationship between earth’s physical environmental components, how they have changed through time, and how essential the human-environment relationship has been throughout history.  So now, as a part of The Holden Arboretum, I am able to use this training and interpret the landscape in all aspects of my job; whether I am giving tours, leading school groups, teaching classes, or developing/writing various educational materials. Most importantly I am able to appreciate and carry out the mission statement of this organization.  “The Holden Arboretum connects people with nature for inspiration and enjoyment, fosters learning and promotes conservation.”
  • SCOTT FISTER (BA Geography, 2005)- As an intern for the Student Conservation Association in the New York Adirondacks program,I belonged to a nine person crew whose rscottfisteresponsibility was to aid in hiking trail maintenance and other conservation projects.  I first heard about the SCA by reading a flyer posted in the Shideler Geography hallway, and later attended an info session given by an SCA recruiter. I left feeling very intrigued and visited the website and looked up possible employment.  One can either apply online or fill out a paper copy, like I did, and send it to the New Hampshire headquarters. 
          On a basic level, the SCA trail crew program gave me basic tool skills, rudimentary building experience, and leave no trace backpacking expertise.  On a higher level I found a greater respect for resources, a better understanding for conservation work, and time to let my cares melt away while watching beautiful sunsets.  Just as in any educational setting one only gains as much as they apply, and the SCA has much to offer.  By being an SCA alumnus you will be privy to many other environmental employment opportunities or open the door to a wide range of masters programs.
          Some recommendations from Scott- Looking back, I wish that I had known about the SCA earlier in my college career, or even in high school.  Not only do they provide the opportunity for students to increase their social capital they also have other benefits such as: free housing, work stipends, and Americorps educational awards ranging up to $4,000.

  • http://www.cato.ru/news/id/118/ A message from LISA HEADON (Geography and Environmental Science, 2005)- This is Lisa…I recently got a job in Lee County, Florida working for the Environmental Health Department. I have been here about 3 or 4 weeks and guess what, a hurricane is coming [Hurricane Wilma]. So I get to ride out a hurricane in Florida. [The storm is predicted] to come ashore in Fort Myers (which is where I live). Maybe I will be able to send you some pictures from the storm. I have to work in the shelters so at least I should be a little bit safer. Anyway I just wanted to let you know how I was doing and what I was up to. Hopefully this hurricane changes its track but if not I'm getting ready for a direct hit. Talk to you later.  --Lisa's senior seminar project focused on a comparison of Hurricanes Andrew and Mitch.
  • lisaheadon LISA HEADON (BA Geography and Environmental Science)- After graduation I spent most of my time looking for a job.  Looking for a job is like a full time job. I also worked part time as a pet sitter and a skating instructor. I applied to hundreds of jobs most of which were online and finally got a call back from the Lee County's Health Department, which is where I work now. I work as an environmental specialist, and am a septic system inspector which doesn't sound like a job you would want but its fun. I go out and inspect septic systems for new homes.  Southwest Florida is a new area for development and thus was not well planned when it comes to the large numbers of people moving here. So it does not have a city sewage system. Instead every house and building has its own onsite sewage deposal system or septic system.  In my job I do a lot of what I learned in GEO 221, the field class.  I do soil analyses, perform perc tests, take elevations and measure setbacks from various objects. My job is mostly field work, which I like a lot, but I also have to approve housing permits which is office work. I work for the state, which is nice because they pay for graduate school after a year. I plan on going back to graduate school part time after a year. I want to get my masters in GIS/Remote Sensing, or something close to it. I'm not sure how long I plan to stay in Florida but I like it so far except for the hurricanes.
          A message from LISA HEADON (Geography and Environmental Science, 2005)- This is Lisa…I recently got a job in Lee County, Florida working for the Environmental Health Department. I have been here about 3 or 4 weeks and guess what, a hurricane is coming [Hurricane Wilma]. So I get to ride out a hurricane in Florida. [The storm is predicted] to come ashore in Fort Myers (which is where I live). Maybe I will be able to send you some pictures from the storm. I have to work in the shelters so at least I should be a little bit safer. Anyway I just wanted to let you know how I was doing and what I was up to. Hopefully this hurricane changes its track but if not I'm getting ready for a direct hit. Talk to you later.  --Lisa's senior seminar project focused on a comparison of Hurricanes Andrew and Mitch.
  • GRACE GORDON (Geography, Co-major in Environmental Science.  I graduated from Miami University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in Geography and a co-major of Environmental Science.  When I graduated, so many of my friends had found jobs that they were and still are planning to stick with for a very long time, but I knew that would not be the case for me.  I was ready to explore!

      In the summer of 2004, I worked as a research assistant to a Miami University Masters Student.  We did aquatic ecology up at The Ohio State University’s Stone Laboratory on Lake Erie.  I had done research in college and had really liked it but at times I didn’t know if it was really for me.  So, I took a Student Conservation Association Internship in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where I was an intersmokiesn ranger giving programs to local school children and doing interpretive programs for the public.  After finishing the job I realized I wanted to pursue environmental education as a career.  Even though I felt like I was beginning to figure out my life I decided to take a little detour right after my internship.  I love to travel so I made up my mind to live at home for the winter and spring of 2005, work at Dick’s Sporting Goods, save some money and travel to India for a month in the summer.  I followed through on my plan and spent an amazing month in India traveling with 5 other people exploring the country and culture.  Right after I got home from India I decided to get back on track and begin to follow my career goal, so I applied again with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.  I got my dream job of being a Resource Education Park Ranger and in the fall of 2005 I headed back down to the Smokies.  I gave programs to school groups visiting the park about the natural and cultural resources of the Smokies.  That position ended in late November and in January 2006 I will be moving to the Student Conservation Association Headquarters in New Hamphire where I will be a Recruiter for SCA.  For this position I will be traveling around the country speaking to college students about my experience with SCA and the Park Service.

      My future plans seem to change every week, as they do for many people who live a seasonal lifestyle.  At the moment I am planning on working at a camp in the summer as an environmental educator, go back to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at some point and in the near future I am planning on getting my masters in outdoor experiential environmental education.    

    KATE HOFFMAN (Geography and Urban and Regional Planning majors, Environmental Science co major, 2004).--Following graduateion [I] was hired by Clark County-Springfield Transportation Coordinating Comittee in Springfield, Ohio to manage the Ohio Public Works Commission eight county District 11 area regarding Issue 1 (Clean Ohio) and Issue 2 (Capital Improvements and Local Transportation) grants.  [I am] currently the Watershed Coordinator for Lorain County in Northeastern Ohio.  [I] am responsible for the continual improvement of environmental quality in Lorain County-- I improve the community's understanding of water quality issues, manage two (2) federally funded EPA/NOAA grants, and manage local non-point source pollution factors for Lorain County.  KATE HAS COME BY TO VISIT THE DEPARTMENT TWICE-- LOOK FOR BROWN BAG SESSIONS WITH ALUMNI.