“...an opportunity to develop expertise”

Jeremy Peichel, Class of 2009

Hometown: Burnsville, Minnesota
Majors: Environmental Science, Political Science
Graduate School: University of Maryland, Master of Science in Conservation Biology & Sustainable Development and Master of Public Policy
Place of Employment: USDA Forest Service in St. Paul, Minn.
Title: Watershed Forestry Specialist

“As one of the first students in the environmental science program and among the first graduates, I was testing out the curriculum which gave me freedom to help develop new courses. The best example was an interest I had in learning about Geographic Information Systems for natural resource management, so I had an independent study with Dr. Coogan. The time we spent learning together directly translated into a course the following year for other environmental science students. Other courses fostered an independent spirit as well, and that is what has served me best in my career so far. I have the confidence to see a complex problem or a new challenge as an opportunity to develop expertise and demonstrate my capacity to learn and grow as a professional.”