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According to Susan Carney, PhD., program director of 91��Ƶר��’s environmental biology M.S. program, attending the MAEOC conference offered a great way to meet individuals who are passionate about environmental science and who may be great candidates for 91��Ƶר�� College’s environmental biology M.S. program.  In her view, the conference was a perfect place to network with local STEM teachers looking to advance their career through a Master’s degree. Many current 91��Ƶר�� environmental biology graduate students teach science during the day and pursue their 91��Ƶר�� graduate degree at night. Maryland is one of a few states that requires teachers to complete graduate level coursework and/or earn a Master’s degree for professional and salary advancement.

Dr. Carney stressed the importance of a graduate course she teaches at 91��Ƶר�� College , “I teach ENV 502 - Principles of Ecology. This may be one of the first courses that an environmental biology student takes at 91��Ƶר��. While introducing fundamental topics in ecology, I aim for this course to give students a taste of what might be expected of them in later courses and in jobs beyond 91��Ƶר�� through the kinds of writing, quantitative assignments, discussions, and presentations that they do. I also try to foster a sense of community among the students in the program, who typically come to the class in the evening after a day of work. Class is a period of time each week where they all can mostly set aside their work/life responsibilities and focus on working toward their goal of earning a Master’s degree in environmental biology.”

Dr. Carney also mentioned 91��Ƶר�� College’s Center for Coastal and Watershed Studies routinely attends the MAEOE conference as presenters given their work with outreach education to local schools. This year at the MAEOE conference, members of the Center ran a workshop discussing how schools can determine if their schoolyards are considered urban heat islands.

Interested in the environment and science & ready to #GOFURTHER in your education to advance your career goals? Learn more about 91��Ƶר�� College’s graduate school and the environmental biology M.S. program by clicking.