Meet Our Alumni
Milos Simovic (MS, Environmental Science, ’20)
As you can see, Milos likes trees. At CSU, he studied how rates of tree growth and carbon sequestration in urban greenspaces varied among the diverse types of trees found in cities. For his research, he made weekly trips to the beautiful Lakeview Cemetery and Secrest Arboretum, where he measured growth and dozens of other ecological characteristics of hundreds of trees; with this data, he and his advisor (Dr. Kevin Mueller) hope to help ecologists, foresters, and planners to better understand which tree species, and which tree traits, might be best suited for expanding the ecosystem services provided by trees in cities. Milos enjoyed his research so much, and did so well, that he is now pursuing a Ph.D. at one of the best universities in the world, the University of British Columbia. Reflecting on his time at CSU, Milos said: "one of the major strong points of my graduate school experience was the option to attend research conferences and seminars outside the campus. This allowed me to interact with scientists that I would otherwise never get a chance to meet... these experiences solidified my interest in pursuing a career as an academic scientists."
Anne Roberto (MA, Environmental Studies, ’19)
Anne Roberto is a stormwater inspector at the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District (NEORSD), where she inspects and reports on stormwater assets within the NEORSD regional service area. She is passionate about sustainable management of water resources, starting out as a volunteer water quality monitor with Friends of Euclid Creek in 2012, later doing beach cleanups on the shores of Lake Erie with the Alliance for the Great Lakes, and now acting as a Certified Watershed Steward in the Cleveland Metroparks Watershed Volunteer Program. Anne's graduate coursework allowed her to build on a science background (she completed a BS in Environmental Science at CSU in 2017) and understand its interactions and applications with policy, economics, and public administration. Some of her favorite memories at CSU include her involvement with the Student Environmental Movement, participating in the Lake Erie Boat Float, embarking on wetland ecology field trips, attending events such as the Ohio Sea Grant Understanding Algal Blooms: State of the Science conference, and participation in the Levin College mentorship program. Attending meetings with her mentor built Anne's interest in beneficial reuse policy, and led to the formulation of her master's capstone project. For Anne, "relationships and coursework at CSU really opened the doors to other channels of learning experiences and networks." Advice for current students? "Say yes to and seek out opportunities! You never know where they might lead you... Get involved!"
Kathleen R. Teuscher (MA, Environmental Studies, ’12)
Kathleen is an environmental consultant, who provides project management and technical support in accordance with various state and federal programs, such as CERCLA, RCRA, and brownfield programs. Her areas of expertise include remedial investigation, risk assessment, vapor intrusion, brownfield redevelopment, RCRA closures, Phase I/Phase II environmental assessments, feasibility studies, statistical analyses, and analytical chemistry. According to Kathleen, the MA program in Environmental Studies enabled her "to not only obtain a better understanding of several disciplines, but more importantly how one area of focus affects others. With courses such as environmental law, engineering, policy, statistics, and finance, in addition to more traditional environmental courses (e.g., ecology), the M.A., Environmental Studies program offered a unique and valuable opportunity to experience the critical interactions between these topics that are typically only experienced once out in the working world. I often wonder how much of an advantage I would have had if I had the education I received through the M.A., Environmental Studies program much earlier in my career." Read more. »