Alumni stories

Meet some of the alumni who are applying their SES education in meaningful, impactful careers.

Advancing sustainable agriculture research

Emily Braun graduated from Loyola in 2014 with a BS in environmental science, and later went on to earn a master's degree in crop sciences from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Today, she applies the skills she developed at Loyola in her work as a sustainability theme data specialist at the UIUC Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI).

Building a career in energy efficiency and innovation

Haley Lim graduated in 2014 with a BS in environmental science. She works as a senior emerging technology analyst at GTI Energy, a technology development organization focused on deploying energy solutions that improve lives, economies, and the environment.

Finding purpose in data, food, and community

Angelo Kelvakis graduated from Loyola in 2018 with degrees in environmental science and environmental policy. His undergraduate experience with faculty-mentored research sparked a passion for making sense of complex data, setting him on an unexpected career path. Today, he blends his interests in food systems and data analysis as a decision scientist at US Foods.

Powering the future with solar energy

Emily Hammermeister said her education in SES provided her with broad foundational knowledge of sustainability issues, opening up a wide range of possible career paths. Shortly after graduating in 2019 with a BS in environmental science, she found an opportunity in sustainable energy at Trajectory Energy Partners, where she has built a career ever since.

Advancing public health in the Chicago region

Joe Walsh graduated from SES in 2021 with a BS in environmental science and a minor in statistics. He went on to earn a master’s degree in public health. Today, he works as a noncommunicable disease epidemiologist for the Kane County Health Department.

Developing renewable energy projects from the ground up

Sampson Hao helps deploy large-scale solar and battery storage projects in his role as a project developer at Reccurent Energy. He earned his master’s degree from SES in 2023, and his graduate thesis has become a resource for renewable energy developers across the country.

Restoring natural habitats nationwide

As an undergraduate majoring in environmental science, Kristina Tsakos got hands-on experience with ecological restoration and field research as an intern with Team Typha, a wetlands research group led by SES faculty. Today, Tsakos helps conserve and restore habitat across the United States as an operations manager at Magnolia, an environmental mitigation company.

From campus greenhouse to community impact

Bailey Uttich graduated from SES in 2024 with a BA in environmental studies and minors in studio art and Spanish language. She applies the knowledge and skills she gained through the SES Urban Agriculture program in her job as the aquaponics coordinator at Windy City Harvest, the Chicago Botanic Garden’s urban agriculture program serving the South and West sides of Chicago.

Working for cleaner air

Ethan Bower earned a BA in environmental studies and an MS in environmental science and sustainability through Loyola’s Accelerated Bachelor’s/Master’s program. During his final year in the program, he started a full-time position as a life scientist in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Region Five Air and Radiation Division.

Spreading knowledge to stop aquatic invasive species

Natalia Szkluruk graduated from SES with a BS in environmental science (2021) and a master’s degree in environmental science and sustainability (2024). She now works as an aquatic invasive species educator at Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant.

Advancing conservation through soil science

Garrett Klepitsch graduated from Loyola in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in environmental science and later earned a master's degree in soil science from the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point. He is now pursuing his passion for conservation as a soil scientist with the US Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service.

SES alum connects horticulture, ecology, and conservation at Chicago's Lincoln Park Zoo

Megan McCawley graduated from SES in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in environmental science. Today, as the horticulture operations manager at the Lincoln Park Zoo, she applies her knowledge of ecology, conservation, and native plants while helping zoo visitors connect with the natural world.

A career building a more sustainable, equitable food system

As the Agriculture Park director at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture in Columbia, Missouri, Loyola alum Tony Minnick works to create more sustainable and just food systems. His experience as an undergraduate in the environmental science program prepared him to launch a meaningful career focused on making a positive difference in the world.

Fighting international wildlife crime

SES alum Monique Sosnowski works to protect threatened and endangered species as a wildlife crime specialist and an assistant professor of criminal justice at Farmingdale State College SUNY in New York. She graduated from Loyola in 2016 with a double major in environmental studies and psychology and later earned her doctoral degree at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

Shifting gears into a career in sustainable transportation

After starting her career in veterinary medicine, Carolyn Bidó enrolled in the SES graduate program to shift into the environmental field. She earned her master's degree in environmental science and sustainability in 2023, and today, she works to facilitate the transition to electric vehicles as a policy associate at the Electrification Coalition.

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Alumni Stories