Spotlight on students, Part 4: Sustainable Development Award winners reflect on their university careers
The Bachelor of Sustainable Development program is proud to celebrate the outstanding hard work and dedication of its recent graduates. Six students of the class of 2023 have received departmental honors, two students have received the Stewart Gavin Award for Leadership and Engagement, and four students have been inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Society. We caught up with them to learn about their plans for after graduation, their understanding of sustainability, and their tips for current students.
Graduating seniors Frederick Wehr, Sophie Grant, Veda Hahn, and P. Orofsky have been named to the Phi Beta Kappa Honorary Society. Students are selected based on the breadth, depth, and rigor of their academic achievements, as well as recommendations from faculty members on their intellectual promise, personality, and achievements in and outside the classroom.
Q&A with Frederick Wehr
What advice do you have for students who want to complete a sustainable development programme?
The sustainable development major is very broad and covers a number of topics. I would encourage potential majors to explore all of their interests early on so that you can see what majors really interest you and take courses that you enjoy. Also, take advantage of the postgraduate classes offered by SIPA and SUMA/SUSCI programmes, which are reliable for your major requirements and for exploration of unique topics not covered by undergraduate courses.
What are your plans after graduating from the programme?
I will be joining Barclays Investment Bank in the fall to work as an Analyst in the Impact and Sustainable Banking Group.
What drew you to the Sustainable Development major or special focus?
Like many excited freshmen, I came to Columbia with a plan to pursue an introductory course. However, when I realized what was in store for me, I decided that doing physics again wasn’t something I really wanted to do. I have always loved science and majoring in Sustainable Development will provide me with an opportunity to study a science-based curriculum from the perspective of the humanities. I wanted the opportunity to take classes focused on current social, political, and environmental concerns.
What is your favorite chapter in the Sustainable Development Program and why?
My favorite class in the Sustainable Development program was “Earth Resources and Sustainable Development,” taught by Peter Kelemen. It was one of the first classes I took in the Department of Sustainable Development, and Professor Clemen formulated my view on a number of sustainability issues. Growing up in Texas, everyone knows someone who works in oil and gas. It is an industry on which many build their livelihoods. During the course, Professor Kleiman covered the history of fossil fuels and the future of the clean energy transition, highlighting potential challenges to renewables that many tend to gloss over. I had the opportunity to write research papers on hydraulic fracturing in the Permian Basin and the effects of lithium and cobalt mining from the advent of lithium-ion batteries. I found writing these papers incredibly interesting and informative, making this course my favorite in the program.
What was your biggest achievement while you were in Colombia?
I would say my biggest accomplishment at Columbia was managing to be a student-athlete for all four years of college. Being an athlete can be physically and mentally exhausting. It was sometimes challenging to manage 4-5 classes a class plus training/travel commitments. I’m proud of myself for all the work I’ve put in both in the classroom and on the field hockey team. My experience at Columbia would not have been the same otherwise, and I feel so accomplished for all that I have achieved as a student and an athlete.
Q&A with Sophie Grant
What advice do you have for students who want to complete a sustainable development programme?
Explore all your interests. Sustainable development everywhere!
What are your plans after graduating from the programme?
I have received a full scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in nursing at Emory University.
What drew you to the Sustainable Development major or special focus?
I wanted to learn about and confront the most pressing issues of our time. The program taught me how to critically assess problems and design fair solutions.
What is your favorite chapter in the Sustainable Development Program and why?
I loved “Qualitative Research Methods for Sustainable Development” with Lisa Dale, as I completed my original research project on the effects of environmental anxiety. I had the pleasure of presenting my work at the end of the semester to colleagues and faculty.
How has the program shaped your understanding of sustainability?
I have realized that sustainability issues permeate every aspect of society. In everything I do going forward, I will bring the perspective of sustainable development.
Q&A with Vida Han
What advice do you have for students who want to complete a sustainable development programme?
- Diversify your skill set with the different classes (i.e. technical vs. non-technical) you can take – especially if you’re not sure which part of sustainable development you’re interested in.
- Do your best to establish relationships with your professors by scheduling office hours with them. Their guidance and support is helpful and you can learn a lot from them!
- Look for additional opportunities to explore and develop your passion for sustainability outside of the classroom and school. There are plenty of opportunities to network and learn from professionals in the field, especially since you’re in New York City!
What are your plans after graduating from the programme?
Working at a fintech company and eventually going back to grad school (at some point).
What drew you to the Sustainable Development major or special focus?
I grew up surrounded by nature and saw the changes that rapid urbanization had on that environment, which deeply affected my view of the world. I have always been drawn to different aspects of sustainability, be it environmental, business-related or development-related, and the major also seemed a natural extension of my studies in Economics and Sociology in France, as part of a double undergraduate programme. Through the SDEV program I was really able to explore and refine my passion for sustainability and understand different schools of thought and their real-world applications.
What is your favorite chapter in the Sustainable Development Program and why?
I really enjoyed the senior grad workshop class because it was an opportunity to apply learning from our curriculum to real-life situations, while also being able to get a taste of what the field related to sustainable development is like in real life. I really enjoyed it because as a Dual BA student I did not and will not have the opportunity to go through the four years of the program and meet more peers, but I was able to do so through this course and work closely with others to develop a satisfactory project. I also enjoyed energy law, and with the large amount of course content and its applicability I was able to internalize a better understanding of the energy landscape in the United States and the world.
What was your biggest achievement while you were in Colombia?
I would say that my biggest accomplishments revolve around the transitional periods in my academic career, being able to overcome the challenges thrown my way. For example, when I’m in a dual undergraduate program with Science Po, it was very difficult for me personally to consider the prospects of my junior year in a new city, new country, and new school. Besides having to face some unexpected hurdles and unplanned events right before graduation, I am very grateful to my family, friends, colleagues, and teachers who have supported me throughout the difficult times.
Outside of the classroom, what extracurricular activities have you been involved in?
I had the opportunity to work for a climate technology startup focused on demand response management systems in New York City the summer of my junior year. Previously worked part time for a UK based community interest company called Force of Nature which worked at the intersection of mental health and the climate crisis. In my role there, the company brought me to COP26 in Glasgow where I was able to participate in the work of the New York Times Climate Hub alongside my team and speak on numerous panels alongside young business leaders and activists on topics related to the power of youth and community engagement in the climate space.
Q&A with Pia Urowski
What advice do you have for students who want to complete a sustainable development programme?
If you don’t already have one, find a hobby—preferably one that requires you to use your hands. The information you will learn is shocking to say the least. It’s frustrating and terrifying. You will learn about widespread but unjust suffering and mass destruction. I think finding a way to ground them both physically and emotionally is just as important as any course of study. I also can’t recommend enough for setting limits on the amount of time you spend directly interacting with the work in front of you, and sticking to them with all your might. You will never be able to “solve” climate change alone, and to be an effective team member you need to be kind to yourself. The rest is radical.
What are your plans after graduating from the programme?
I would like to work in NYC doing GIS and looking for a job! If anyone seeing this has any business in sight, please don’t be shy to reach out.
What drew you to the Sustainable Development major or special focus?
I was drawn to the Sustainable Development major by the program’s practical application and interdisciplinary nature as my goal was to graduate with technical skills and a multidimensional understanding of the climate crisis.
What is your favorite chapter in the Sustainable Development Program and why?
Environmental Health and Justice was taught from the School of Public Health by Ana Navas Asin. The professor is not only fantastic, she brings in experts in every discipline covered on the course so you can learn from people who work in the field. Most importantly, this course really broadens one’s definition of what the environment actually is. This course changed the way I saw the world around me.
What was your biggest achievement while you were in Colombia?
My biggest accomplishment while at Columbia was learning how to set work-related boundaries that prioritized my mental and physical well-being over a sense of productivity.
For more information about the program and upcoming events, please visit the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development website.