Join us this Thursday at 6:00 pm for the EnviSci Peer Networking Night! You will get the chance to speak with upperclass students about their experiences with the major, as well as related research, internship and volunteer experiences. If you’re looking for any of these opportunities, this event is a great chance to help you get started, and to connect you with other students in the major.
Use this zoom link to join the event. We hope to see you there!
As we enter flu season, please remember to keep up your best practices for staying healthy! The more we can keep ourselves healthy, the stronger we all are against COVID-19, and the more lives we save. For the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 at UMass, visit umass.edu/coronavirus/.
And don’t forget to get your flu shot! As a reminder, all students who have signed on to the UMass Community Agreement have agreed to receive a flu vaccination. Even for students not living on or around the UMass campus, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is requiring all students in the Commonwealth to get the flu vaccine. For information about receiving a flu vaccine from UMass, visit this webpage.
The peer advisors will be hosting a virtual Environmental Science Peer Networking Event at 6:00 pm EST on Thursday October 22. Upperclassmen in the major will be sharing their experiences with coursework, internships, research experiences, study abroad, and everything in between!
This event is a great opportunity to learn about how you can get the most out of the EnviSci major at UMass, and to make connections with your peers.
Stay tuned for more details about registering for the event. Any upperclassmen interested in being a presenter, please contact envisci@umass.edu.
Did you know that along with the blog, you can now stay up to date with all things EnviSci using our new Instagram account? Follow us @umassenvisci for news about upcoming events, student spotlights, advising information, and more!
Join the peer advisors on Wednesday September 16th at 7:00 pm for a night of environmental-science-themed trivia! We’ve prepared a slew of Kahoot questions for you, ranging from general environmental science knowledge to UMass advising tips. The top scoring participants will each receive a prize! Use this zoom link to join the event. We hope to see you there!
Reminder that the add/drop period is ending at the end of the day on Monday September 7th! If you need to drop a course, switch course meeting times, or make any other changes to your schedule, make sure to do this before the deadline.
Similar to the spring semester, students will have the option to choose Elective Pass/Fail grading for classes. However, this is now limited to only 3 classes! To switch from Letter-Grading to Elective Pass/Fail for your courses, click on the “Other Academic” dropdown menu (located next to the weekly course schedule) on the Spire Student Center, and select the option “Pass/Fail Elect.”
Come join the EnviSci Peer Advisors on Wednesday September 2nd at 7:00 pm for a discussion on strategies for succeeding in online/remote classes! The Peer Advisors will be sharing their own experiences, and all attendees are welcome to share any questions, insights, tips, or stories about their own experiences with online classes. All environmental science students are welcome to join. Use our peer advising office hours link to join the meeting. Hope to see you there!
We would like to extend our warmest (virtual) welcome to all returning students and all new students! This semester will be unlike previous ones at UMass, and there will certainly be new challenges to confront. But through it all, your advising team is here to help! Whether you are living at home, near UMass, or on campus, we want to remind you of the numerous resources available to all students. Please take advantage of these helpful tools as much as possible, and always remember to reach out to an advisor if you have questions.
As we gear up for the semester, we wanted to take a moment to introduce your two new Environmental Science peer advisors: Alivia Liberty (left) and Nicole Yunes Perez (right)!
Alivia and Nicole are currently junior Environmental Science majors, and they are joining Lauren Musshorn and Eric Sirkovich, who are the two senior peer advisors. To learn more about the peer advising team, and to find our contact information, visit the Advisors & Mentoring page.
Make sure to keep checking your email at least once a day (but it’s better if you check more often than that). With the remote mode of instruction this semester, your email will be your primary form of contact with the University, so it is critical that you do not miss any important emails. Additionally, we will be maintaining the blog, and sharing information about policy updates, important dates to keep track of, and community-building virtual events.
Our most recent batch of alumni graduated just over a month ago, and we’re so proud of them! To celebrate their achievements, we compiled a Virtual Yearbook, so take a look and get to know the Class of 2020!
Recently, Environmental Science student Chris Clark (class of 2020) was recognized by the University as a 21st Century Leader. Chris worked in the Timme-Laragy Lab (located in the School of Environmental Health & Health Sciences), where he studied toxic PFAS chemicals. This work led Chris to make an enormous impact on his hometown of Westfield, MA.
Together with the Westfield Residents Advocating for Themselves (WRAFT), Chris successfully lobbied for the “commonwealth to allocate over $20 million in assistance to PFAS-contaminated communities and establish stricter PFAS standards.” Having just graduated from UMass, Chris will continue studying issues related to “remediation and regulation of toxic [environmental] contamination” at the University of Michigan.
Congratulations Chris!
If you are interested in being featured in the Student Spotlight on the EnviSci Blog, follow this link and fill out a form!