Environmental Science Undergraduates

JOIN us peer advisors in our office hours! We are a resource for YOU to get advice on courses, a look through your academic requirements, or be of any assistance to you as an Environmental Science student at UMass Amherst!

2023 – 2024 Peer Advisors from left to right
Top (Seniors): Austin, Heather, Bryan
Bottom (Juniors): Drew, Nina, Lillian
And we also have Sydney who is Returning From Study Abroad!

Here are our times for the Spring 2024 semester: 

Monday: 10-11am, 12:30-1:30pm

Tuesday: 8:45-9:45am, 2:30-3:30pm

Wednesday: 9-10am, 11-12pm, 12:30-1:30pm

Thursday: 8:45-9:45pm, 2:30-3:30pm, 3:30-4:30pm

Friday: 10-11pm

Drop by Holdsworth  Hall Rm 209 for a face-to-face meeting or go through Zoom Use this Link to Access Peer Office Hours 

Feel free to reach out to us through email as well!

Senior Peer Advisors

Austin Bartlett (asbartlett@umass.edu)

Heather Bortolussi (hbortolussi@umass.edu)

Bryan Dole (bdole@umass.edu)

Junior Peer Advisors

Nina Costanza (ncostanza@umass.edu)

Lillian Pogany (lpogany@umass.edu)

Sydney Strauss (smstrauss@umass.edu)

Deadline: March 31, 2023

Looking for for motivated and enthusiastic rising juniors to be peer advisors for the Environmental Science program!

Responsibilities as a Peer Advisor:

• Collaborating and organizing community-building and networking events for ENVSCI students throughout the semester
• Holding office hours to answer questions about courses, enrollment, and inquiries from current and prospective students
• Maintaining the EnviSci Blog and Instagram and all social media communication
• Creating an inclusive and safe space for all students in the major for holistic student success

Responsibilities and training would actively begin in late August, and the position typically continues through both your junior and senior year. There are also opportunities for remote part-time summer employment working this June and July with the EnviSci New Student Orientation and Transitions team.

Academic credit is earned in your junior year, with paid positions possible in your senior year. 

—— LINK TO GOOGLE FORM APPLICATION —— Environmental Science Program Peer Advisor Application Spring 2023 (google.com)

Looking for an internship this upcoming summer?

Watch this presentation to get resources on research and job internships in the field of environmental science! Many research internships have application deadlines in January and February, NOW during the beginning of winter break is a great time to get a head start on these applications!

1. Ask your professors/ employers/ mentors for recommendation letters or reference contacts early or as soon as possible! Express to them why you want to apply for an internship and why they are an important to your academic and professional success. They will need time in order to write you a genuine letter of recommendation and submit it to the internship you are applying for. Remember: when applications are due, ALL parts of an application including the letters of recc are required for a complete submission.

2. Allow someone else to read your cover letter or statement of purpose. Someone else reading your writing is a new voice outside of your head which could improve the message you are getting across. YOU know your capabilities and skills, but how can you effectively describe that to someone else?

3. Stay organized with your applications. Create a spreadsheet or write down all the programs you are applying for, all required application materials, when they will notify you if you’re moving into the next round of review, when the internship will actual begin- ALL important information about the internship.

4. Apply anyways! Even if you do not believe you qualify. You are striving for new experiences and to grow your technical skills and background, most application review boards will understand this. It is completely fine if you want to do research but haven’t had any experience yet, that is why you are applying! Applying to all opportunities that you are interested in will increases your chance of landing a meaningful experience.