Environmental Studies - Career Planning

The Hendrix College Environmental Studies major prepares students for success in a variety of careers within the academic, governmental, non-profit, and entrepreneurial sectors. Environmental Studies students hone their critical thinking and problem solving skills by engaging in internships, research, and community projects that emphasize the interdisciplinary connections required to address the environmental needs of our time. Students develop teamwork and communication skills as they collaborate with peers, faculty, and community partners during projects that emphasize innovative solutions to environmental problems and the clear communication of results through written and oral platforms. Environmental Studies majors sharpen their leadership skills by playing active roles in campus organizations that promote sustainability on our campus and beyond.

Through one-on-one advising, professional networking, and opportunities to engage in career exploration beyond the classroom, Hendrix Environmental Studies students not only graduate with the skills and professional acumen necessary for success within the environmental field, they also gain the self-awareness necessary to develop their passion and live lives of accomplishment beyond Hendrix.

Past Internships Done by Majors

• Arkansas Game and Fish Commission (Little Rock, AR)
• Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance (Little Rock, AR)
• Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission (Little Rock, AR)
• Arkansas Public Policy Panel (Little Rock, AR)
• Arkansas Sierra Club (Little Rock, AR)
• Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium (New Orleans, LA)
• Bells Bend Park (Nashville, TN)
• Botanical Research Institute of Texas (Fort Worth, TX)
• Camp Mitchell (Morrilton, AR)
• Explore Ecology (Santa Barbara, CA)
• Heifer International (Little Rock, AR)
• Lookout Mountain Conservancy (Chattanooga, TN)
• Ozark Natural Science Center (Huntsville, AR)
• Raptor Rehab of Arkansas (El Paso, AR)
• Rattle’s Garden (Vilonia, AR)
• Shelby County Office of Sustainability (Memphis, TN)
• Sierra Club (Washington, D.C.)
• The Nature Conservancy (Little Rock, AR)
• Toltec Mounds Archaeological State Park (Scott, AR)
• Treaty Oak Distilling Ranch (Dripping Springs, TX) 
• University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (Little Rock, AR)
• Westcave Outdoor Discovery Center (Round Mountain, TX)
• Wildland Gardens (Morrilton, AR)
• Women’s Environmental Network (London, UK)
• Zoosiania (Broussard, LA)
• Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (Little Rock, AR)
• Central Arkansas Water (Little Rock, AR)
• CTEH (North Little Rock, AR)
  

Environmental Studies faculty are eager to help students discern their next steps after Hendrix. Our students most often enter the work force or enroll in graduate or professional school. For examples of places where students work and study after Hendrix, please see the graduate and professional school options below, as well as the occupations of our graduates.

You may also find the “what can I do with this Major” database helpful. Click the link above to access this resource. Given the interdisciplinary nature of the Environmental Studies major, our students may pursue careers in a variety of the majors represented on this website, including:

• Agricultural Leadership, Education, and Communications
• Biological Sciences
• Chemistry
• Education
• Environmental Studies/Science
• Plant Sciences
• Public Health
• Wildlife and Fisheries

Occupations of Recent Graduates

• Environmental Educator, Boston Mountain Solid Waste District (Fayetteville, AR)
• Naturalist Guide, Ecolodge San Luis (San Luis, Costa Rica)
• Interpreter, Arkansas State Parks (Little Rock, AR)
• Trip leader for TrekAmerica (various locations)
• Contract Botanist for Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission, Little Rock, AR
• Invasive Species Technician, Langlade County Land Conservation Department (Antigo, WI)
• Wildland Firefighter, USDA Forest Service (various locations)
• Fire Suppression Technician, USDA Forest Service (Philipsburg, MT)
• Capacity Building Specialist, Access to Healthy Foods Research Group – Americorps VISTA (Little Rock, AR)
• Garden Education Coordinator, FoodCorps (Atlanta, GA)
• Garden Technician, Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center (Austin, TX)
• Workshop Series Coordinator, Sustainability in Prisons Project (Olympia, WA)
• Climate Action Plan Program Assistant, City of Fort Collins (Fort Collins, CO)
• Arkansas Public Policy Panel (Little Rock, AR)
• Compliance Officer, TEAM Industries (Andrews, NC)
• Hazardous Waste Inspector, Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (Little Rock, AR)
• Photovoltaic Installation Technician, Imagine Energy (Portland, OR)
• Contract Coordinator at SunTalk Solar (Denver, CO)

Graduate and Professional School Options

Many Environmental Studies majors also begin graduate or professional school in the years following graduation, including in programs such as:

• Master of Arts in Sustainability, Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ)
• Master of Science in Plant Sciences, University of Missouri (Columbia, MO)
• Master of Science in Biology, Stanford University (Stanford, CA)
• Master of Science in Biology, Oregon State University (Corvallis, OR)
• Master of Public Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health (Washington, D.C.)
• Master of Public Service, Clinton School of Public Service (Little Rock, AR)
• Master of Environmental Management, Western State Colorado University (Gunnison, CO)
• PhD in Microbiology & Immunology, University of Georgia (Athens, GA)
• Juris Doctor, Harvard Law School
• Juris Doctor, Emory University School of Law
• Medical Doctor, University of Arkansas School for Medical Sciences

Madison Pitts '15 – Attorney – Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality – Little Rock, AR

The EVST program helped Madison realize the importance of environmental law in shaping and effectuating environmental policy.  She attended the U of A at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law with the goal of becoming an environmental attorney.  Madison was an active member of the Bowen Environmental Law Society and became the president of the organization her final year of law school.  After graduating from law school cum laude, she became a licensed Arkansas attorney.  Madison is now an attorney for the Office of Chief Counsel in the newly created Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment. She practices in many areas of environmental law with a focus in air and oil and gas law.

Dillon Blankenship '12 – Environmental Scientist – Tennessee Dept. of Environment and Conservation

Adam Turner '18 – Wild Land Firefighter – Texas Forest Service

Marley Halter '16 – Community Gardens Manager, Auburn University – Auburn, AL