Meet Emily Nelson

Photo Credit: Emily Nelson
Thu, 12/17/2020 - 09:07

Major: Environmental Studies
Minors: Business Administration, Fisheries and Wildlife
Year in school: Senior
Hometown: Omaha, NE

Why did you select your major and minors? Were there any experiences that convinced you to declare?
I knew I wanted to do something in the environmental field after I took an earth science class my senior year of high school. I always have enjoyed being outside and wanted to apply a career choice that aligned with my passion and joy of being in the outdoors.

What is your favorite course you have taken from your programs and why?
ENVR 319 was a really great course where we got to apply our skills of providing a better environmental outlook for a company. Being able to partner with a real local company and come up with a sustainability plan that correlated with their goals was an awesome way to translate what we learn in the classroom to the real world.

Who have been some of your strongest mentors or role models here?
David Gosselin - not my personal advisor but one of the best resources that this program has to offer.

Have you had an internship/job? If so, please describe it and explain how your major helped you with it:
I interned as an environmental science intern at Olsson Engineering. Seeing that they have an environmental team and do various services for various clients, I was able to learn an abundance of environmental related work. From wetland delineations, bird and wildlife surveys, to railroad work, I was able to apply a lot of aspects from the environmental studies program into my work.

What are you involved in on campus?
I was involved in Sustain UNL.

What are your plans after graduation?
I accepted an offer from Olsson to be an assistant scientist with their Lincoln environmental team.