Skip to main content

Career Outcomes

Career outcomes

The School of Environmental Sustainability has a proven track record of preparing graduates for successful, rewarding careers. More than 90 percent of recent graduates are working in their chosen fields or pursuing advanced degrees. 

Careers with impact

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

Building a more sustainable, equitable food system

As the agriculture park director at the Columbia Center for Urban Agriculture in Columbia, Missouri, SES alum Tony Minnick works to create more sustainable and just food systems. Learn more

Graduates succeeding across sectors

The graph below shows some of the sectors where SES alumni work today. 

graph showing a breakdown of areas where alumni work, including sustainability and energy, consulting, and business

Diverse opportunities

SES alumni work in a wide range of roles in nonprofits, business, universities, government agencies, and other settings. Here are some examples of positions held by SES graduates.

Position

Employer

Assistant grower

Gotham Greens

Assistant professor

Farmingdale State College – SUNY

Assistant manager of living collections

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Associate manager of horticultural operations

Lincoln Park Zoo

Associate scientist

Abbott Labs

Business analyst, EV charging, America

Honda Motors

Climate and energy program manager, Illinois

The Nature Conservancy

Communications coordinator

Green City Market

Development manager

Friends of the Forest Preserves

Ecotoxicologist

University of Saskatchewan

Energy analyst

Elevate

Energy conservation trainer

Energy Solutions Professionals LLC

Environmental and permitting manager

Cordelio Power

Environmental educator

National Park Service (Yosemite)

Environmental engineer

City of Chicago

Environmental health officer

Will County Health Department

Environmental resources specialist

Christopher B. Burke Engineering

Environmental scientist

US Environmental Protection Agency

Farm manager

Bright Spot Farms

Farmer's market manager

River Valley Ranch

Fishery management specialist

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Founder and CEO

WasteNot Compost

Lakes and shorelines ecologist

Chicago Botanic Gardens

Learning facilitator

Shedd Aquarium

Naturalist

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Policy associate

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Regenerative agriculture program manager

Danone

Research specialist

University of Chicago, Biological Sciences Division

Research technologist, chemistry

Northwestern University

Resource technician

Cook County Forest Preserves

Restoration technician

Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC

Safety and environmental specialist

S&C Electric

Safety coordinator

Argonne National Lab

Senior specialist, air and noise

United Airlines

Senior sustainability associate

Deloitte

Senior trading systems analyst

Invenergy

Solar development manager

Ranger Power

Sustainability accounting analyst

Mastercard

Sustainability consultant

McDonald's Corporation

Urban planner

City of Green, Ohio

 

Alumni stories 

Read more about some of the alumni who are advancing sustainability through impactful and meaningful careers.

Graduates succeeding across sectors

The graph below shows some of the sectors where SES alumni work today. 

Diverse opportunities

SES alumni work in a wide range of roles in nonprofits, business, universities, government agencies, and other settings. Here are some examples of positions held by SES graduates.

Position

Employer

Assistant grower

Gotham Greens

Assistant professor

Farmingdale State College – SUNY

Assistant manager of living collections

Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum

Associate manager of horticultural operations

Lincoln Park Zoo

Associate scientist

Abbott Labs

Business analyst, EV charging, America

Honda Motors

Climate and energy program manager, Illinois

The Nature Conservancy

Communications coordinator

Green City Market

Development manager

Friends of the Forest Preserves

Ecotoxicologist

University of Saskatchewan

Energy analyst

Elevate

Energy conservation trainer

Energy Solutions Professionals LLC

Environmental and permitting manager

Cordelio Power

Environmental educator

National Park Service (Yosemite)

Environmental engineer

City of Chicago

Environmental health officer

Will County Health Department

Environmental resources specialist

Christopher B. Burke Engineering

Environmental scientist

US Environmental Protection Agency

Farm manager

Bright Spot Farms

Farmer's market manager

River Valley Ranch

Fishery management specialist

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Founder and CEO

WasteNot Compost

Lakes and shorelines ecologist

Chicago Botanic Gardens

Learning facilitator

Shedd Aquarium

Naturalist

Aspen Center for Environmental Studies

Policy associate

Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance

Regenerative agriculture program manager

Danone

Research specialist

University of Chicago, Biological Sciences Division

Research technologist, chemistry

Northwestern University

Resource technician

Cook County Forest Preserves

Restoration technician

Resource Environmental Solutions, LLC

Safety and environmental specialist

S&C Electric

Safety coordinator

Argonne National Lab

Senior specialist, air and noise

United Airlines

Senior sustainability associate

Deloitte

Senior trading systems analyst

Invenergy

Solar development manager

Ranger Power

Sustainability accounting analyst

Mastercard

Sustainability consultant

McDonald's Corporation

Urban planner

City of Green, Ohio

 

Alumni stories 

Read more about some of the alumni who are advancing sustainability through impactful and meaningful careers.