In addition to the IU Student Sustainability Council, the career panel was sponsored by Net Impact, an organization with Kelley School of Business aimed at using business skills to support social and environmental causes.
University Director of Sustainability Bill Brown said the career panel is meant to encourage students with an interest in environmental issues to take a step outside the classroom and pursue a career in the world of ?sustainability.
Brown was the director of sustainability on the Bloomington campus for many years and, as of January, is now the university director for all IU campuses.
“Working in sustainability is an interesting challenge,” he said. “It’s important for us as a human race to learn to thrive and keep ourselves alive. The sooner we figure this out, the less consequences we have to deal with as a civilization.”
Emily Hughes, a volunteer for the IU Student Sustainability Council during SustainIU week, is currently an intern for the Office of Sustainability. She said the career panel is a great opportunity because people who, like herself, are interested in a career in sustainability are sometimes not fully aware of the employment opportunities available.
“Climate change has serious implications,” she said. “Adopting practices to reduce energy and conserve resources is vital, and hearing about the job opportunities that come with this is definitely motivating.”
IU sophomore and environmental management student Marie Becker said the career panel was the first sustainability event she had attended on campus and she didn’t know what to expect prior to coming.
“I thought I might as well come and observe what was going on since it is involved with my major,” she said. “My focus of study is water conservation, and since the theme of SustainIU week is water scarcity, hopefully this panel carries through and gives me some information.”
Becker left the career panel with positive reviews, saying it was interesting hearing why the members of the panel chose their line of work.
“It’s easy to not care about sustainability,” she said. “There are very little immediate repercussions you can see with it, because even though you do lose money as the environment worsens, you don’t initially know it. Working with sustainability makes sure it’s not forgotten about.”
Net Impact member and IU senior Magnai Davaadagva said the event inspired students, especially younger ones, to get involved.
“A lot of the freshman here aren’t sure where they want to go with their careers, and this panel seemed inspirational in giving their own experiences,” he said. “It gave the younger people an idea of what sustainability is about.”
Brown emphasized in his speech on the panel that no matter the line of work, the most important thing is that you “follow your bliss.”
“Even if you don’t want to work in sustainability, if you don’t follow what’s in you heart, you won’t find what’s right for you,” he said. “Follow your calling and you’ll be happy.”
