Last month, the Columbia Climate School hosted its ninth annual Sustainability Careers Reception at the Columbia Club in Midtown Manhattan. Thirty-three sustainability professionals and 88 Columbia students from varying backgrounds and degree pursuits gathered to discuss the ever-pressing challenges and real-world applications of sustainability and climate.
This yearly reception exclusively caters to students pursuing one of the six educational programs partnered with the Climate School: the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development, the M.P.A. in Environmental Science and Policy, the M.P.A in Development Practice, the M.A. in Climate and Society, the M.S. in Sustainability Management and the M.S. in Sustainability Science.
The first hour of the event focused on roundtable discussions on topics including career advice, stories about entering the sustainability and climate fields, and strategies for integrating sustainability measures in different organizations. This gave students the opportunity to interact with a few specialists in a small group setting and connect their academic work to practice. Katherine Bell, a student in the Undergraduate Program in Sustainable Development, said the roundtable participants “gave a great perspective on both their careers and their personal experiences with sustainability.” The evening ended with a reception where conversations continued over food and drinks.
The practitioners in attendance came from backgrounds in finance, consulting, communications, energy, resiliency and advocacy. Their areas of employment ranged from private companies such as Agendi, JLL and Mastercard to government entities like the New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, to nonprofit organizations and start-ups such as the Center for an Urban Future and Redwood Climate Communications.
Given the novelty of the sustainability field, there was a strong sense of excitement about its growing visibility. Dylan McAuliffe from Renewable Energy Brokerage and Advisory said, “It was really exciting to see so many people interested to get into this field, where there is a desperate need for talent. This is a new field and it’s an opportunity to join it from the ground up.”
Claudia Villar-Leeman, senior director of policy and regulatory affairs at the New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium, agreed: “It was fantastic to meet so many thoughtful and talented students dedicated to addressing the existential challenge of our time—climate justice. We are lucky to have them joining the fight.”
Practitioners were optimistic about the potential of the students in the room. Valentina Guido, a senior associate at the Rocky Mountain Institute, said she centers mentorship in her work and was honored to participate in this event for the second time. “The room was filled with great collaborative energy and enthusiasm. Events like these give me confidence that, by sharing experiences, we can help each other unlock new perspectives, grow and move forward towards inspiring individual and collective paths,” she added.
The sustainability professionals were keen to share their expertise with students. Emir Pekdemir, an associate at Atelier Ten, has attended the reception for the last three years. Part of the excitement, he said, “is looking out for the next talent, but the majority of it is seeing how little of what practitioners do is known by the students.” Sameer Ranade, senior advisor for climate justice at New York State Energy Research & Development Authority, added that “the students were well-prepared, inquisitive and eager to learn about my experience and the substance of the policies I worked on.”
Students echoed these sentiments and were appreciative of the opportunity to learn more about the multitude of career paths awaiting them. Kathy La, student in the M.A. in Climate and Society program, shared that, “given the interdisciplinary nature of the field, it can be really daunting at times to navigate all the different avenues one can take within their career.” She found it reassuring to hear first-hand experiences and the many diverse places they could end up within the sustainability field.
Overall, this year’s reception was a resounding success and we look forward to hosting it again next year. Thank you to this year’s attendees!
Alexandra Hussey, Temi Ayeni and Maria-Vera Azadian are academic affairs interns at the Columbia Climate School.
The Climate School’s Professional Development Program offers students and alumni resources and programs that supplement the career services in their respective schools. The program includes skill-building seminars, networking opportunities and tools that, together, better prepare students to pursue job opportunities in sustainability. Coming up next on February 28, 2025: the 22nd All Ivy Environmental and Sustainable Development Career Fair.
* Practitioners, from left to right and top to bottom:
Rachel Aaronson (NYC Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice), Maya Ackell (Moody’s Corporation), Tarek Arafat (NYC Department of Buildings), Lisa Blake (Michael Baker International), Deborah Burke (Rockefeller Brothers Fund), Brittny Castillo (WSP Built Ecology), Jeffrey Crawford (Azuri), Trevor Dolan (Evergreen Action), Jessica Fowler (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), Josh Garrett (Redwood Climate Communications), Zac Greear (AllianceBernstein), Valentina Guido (RMI), Kathy Harris (Natural Resources Defense Council), Neeti Jain (Mayor’s Office of Food Policy), Paramjot Kaur (ISS Stoxx), Nicholas Kusnetz (InsideClimate News), Dylan McAuliffe (Renewable Energy Brokerage & Advisory), Watson Millison (Con Edison), Mitwa Patel (Moody’s Corporation), Emir Pekdemir (Atelier Ten), Grace Penders (Equal Ventures), Anita Raman (International Rescue Committee), Sameer Ranade (NYSERDA), Eric Roston (Bloomberg LP), Peter Schott (Mastercard), Marina Severinovsky (Schroders), John Surico (Center for an Urban Future), Toni-Marie Trombley (JLL), Susana Vidal (Agendi), Claudia Villar-Leeman (New York Battery and Energy Storage Technology Consortium), Brendan Woodruff (New York State Department of Environmental Conservation), Minjia Yang (International WELL Building Institute)
