{"id":10729,"date":"2024-02-29T16:40:39","date_gmt":"2024-02-29T21:40:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/149.4.100.129\/academics\/sees\/?page_id=10729"},"modified":"2026-05-12T12:21:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:21:46","slug":"career-panel-events","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/career-panel-events\/","title":{"rendered":"Career Panel Events"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”GRAD SCHOOL INFO SESSION (Fall 2025)” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” border_color_all=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1440px” custom_margin=”-29px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”30px||3px|||” border_color_all=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

GRAD SCHOOL INFO SESSION
(Fall 2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Speakers<\/h3>\n

SEES Peer advisors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Organizer<\/h3>\n

Dara Laczniak<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/324\/2025\/11\/Screenshot-2025-11-03-093751.png” title_text=”Screenshot 2025-11-03 093751″ show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Government and Industry Careers Panel Event (Spring 2024)” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#EFEFEF” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1440px” custom_margin=”-29px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”30px||3px|||” border_color_all=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Broadening the Career Horizon of SEES Students Through Career Panel Events (Spring 2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Speakers<\/h3>\n

Mr. Michael Reed, a former Product Engineer for Esri and fellow graduate student<\/p>\n

Ms. Meagan Lenna, an Assistant Geologist at the NYS Department of Transportation<\/p>\n

Event Organizers<\/h3>\n

Emily Albines (SEES peer advisor)<\/p>\n

Yaacov Strickon (SEES peer advisor)<\/p>\n

Dara Laczniak (SEES faculty)<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/324\/2025\/11\/2025-Spring-CPE-.png” title_text=”2025 Spring CPE” show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||-3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

On Wednesday, March 26, 2025 the peer advisors for the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES) ushered students and faculty into room C207 of the Science Building. \u00a0They were met by two amazing guest speakers, Meagan Lenna and Michael Reed. Everyone was gathered for the semesterly career colloquium titled Beyond the Degree: Finding your Future Career. The purpose of this event was to expose SEES students to the variety of Earth and environmental science career paths that are available to them in the NYC area after graduating from ºì¶¹ÊÓƵ\u2014from non-profit work to city government jobs to positions with private companies\u2014and to provide an opportunity to connect with real-world professionals.<\/div>\n
This semester\u2019s speakers were Ms. Meagan Lenna and Mr. Michael Reed, both of whom are affiliated with ºì¶¹ÊÓƵ (QC). Ms. Lenna graduated from QC with three degrees in 2016: a B.S. in Geology, a B.A. in Environmental Science, and an M.S. in Applied Environmental Geosciences. She now works as an Assistant Geologist at the NYS Department of Transportation where one of her most interesting responsibilities is acting as an environmental emergency responder to petroleum spills.
Mr. Reed has a B.A. in Geological Sciences and a minor in Geography from SUNY Geneseo. Currently, he is a PhD student researching Geomorphology at the CUNY Graduate School, but he worked as a Product Engineer at ESRI between his undergraduate and graduate studies. He spoke to students about his experience at ESRI as well as his journey within academia. Mr. Reed talked about savoring and prioritizing breaks from intense work and enjoying side jobs. He still works some shifts as a barista while pursuing his PhD. In addition to providing a break from the academic world, Mr. Reed firmly believes that this gig helps him sharpen his interpersonal skills .<\/div>\n
Both speakers highlighted the need to cultivate both hard and soft skills during undergraduate schooling. Ms. Lenna shared a very important piece of advice during the Q&A session of the colloquium. A student asked how to combat imposter syndrome when applying to jobs. Ms. Lenna said to treat the qualifications in a job description as a checklist. You do not need to possess every skill that is asked for, \u00a0but if you have the majority of the listed skills, you are absolutely qualified to apply. Many agencies will never find a \u201cperfect\u201d candidate that ticks all their boxes, so it is important to understand your strengths and use them to your advantage. Mr. Reed added to this advice and encouraged students to show a bit of their personality during interviews, because companies are also looking to see who will fit best into the workplace culture they are trying to cultivate. This means your ability to connect and communicate with others is just as important as your hard skills. Mr. Reed credits his interpersonal skills and outgoing nature for landing the Product Engineer position at ESRI. During the ESRI interview process, he made sure to consistently ask questions and was honest about what he did and didn\u2019t know.<\/div>\n
Like previous career colloquiums, this event was a great success, with over 45 students in attendance. The high turnout proves that SEES students crave career preparation opportunities and we look forward to planning more events in the future.<\/div>\n
\u00a0<\/div>\n
For more information contact : Dara Laczniak, dara.laczniak@qc.cuny.edu<\/a><\/div>\n

March 2025<\/p>\n

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Getting the Scoop on the NYS Professional Geologist license (Spring 2025)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Speakers<\/h3>\n

Eric Greppo, Professional Engineer NYS Board for Engineering, Land Surveying, and Geology<\/p>\n

Jean Patota, Professional Geologist Board Member and Geology Committee Chair of NYS Board for Engineering, Land Surveying, and Geology<\/p>\n

Event Organizers<\/h3>\n

Dara Laczniak (SEES faculty)<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/324\/2025\/02\/Flyer-SEES-02.26.25-PG-Event-Flyer.jpg” title_text=”Flyer-SEES-02.26.25 PG Event Flyer” show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||-3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

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In our rapidly evolving society, it is difficult enough to choose an undergraduate major, let alone a career path after graduation. To help our students learn about the variety of career options available to them once receiving a degree in geology, environmental science, or environmental studies and network with professionals in the field, the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences (SEES) organizes semesterly career panels. On February 26, 2025, SEES hosted a special career panel titled, Beyond the Degree: Geology Careers and Licensure in New York State (NYS) whose purpose was to teach students about the relatively new Professional Geology License that is available in NYS. This event also allowed SEES to advertise the fact that ºì¶¹ÊÓƵ is currently the only institution in the city whose Geology BS program is registered as a geology licensure-qualifying program with the NYS Education Department.
Two incredibly experienced guest speakers took the trek down from Albany for this event: Jean Patota, a licensed professional geologist and the Geology Committee Chair of the NYS Board for Engineering, Land Surveying, and Geology, and Eric Greppo, the Executive Secretary of the same board. During their talk, these speakers described the kind of work geologists do in NYS, listed some organizations that hire geologists, explained what it means to hold the title of Professional Geologist in NYS, and discussed the benefits of and the process involved in obtaining the NYS Professional Geologist license. The topics of this event clearly struck a chord with students, because it attracted a spectacular crowd of over 90 attendees. Interested students even had the chance to continue to connect with the guest speakers over a post-colloquium luncheon.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/div>\n
For more information contact : Dara Laczniak, dara.laczniak@qc.cuny.edu<\/a><\/div>\n

February 2025<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][lwp_image_carousel gallery_ids=”14808,14807,14806″ layout=”sync” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” border_color_all_image=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/lwp_image_carousel][et_pb_video disabled_on=”off|off|off” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_video][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”Government and Industry Careers Panel Event (Spring 2024)” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”#EFEFEF” collapsed=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row column_structure=”1_3,2_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” max_width=”1440px” custom_margin=”-29px|auto||auto||” custom_padding=”30px|||||” border_color_all=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”1_3″ _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Government and Industry Careers Panel Event (Spring 2024)<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Speakers<\/h3>\n

Michelle Park – NYC Department of Environmental Protection<\/p>\n

Ashley Smith – United States Geological Survey\u2019s New York Water Science Center<\/p>\n

Isabel Riano – Hillman Consulting<\/p>\n

Moderator<\/h3>\n

Julia Sandke<\/p>\n

Organizer<\/h3>\n

Dara Laczniak<\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/www.qc.cuny.edu\/academics\/sees\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/324\/2024\/01\/Goverment-and-Industry-Careers-Panel-at-SEES.png” title_text=”Goverment and Industry Careers Panel at SEES” show_in_lightbox=”on” _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” background_color=”RGBA(255,255,255,0)” border_width_all=”1px” border_color_all=”#EFEFEF” box_shadow_style=”preset2″ locked=”off” global_colors_info=”{}”][\/et_pb_image][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”2_3″ _builder_version=”4.24.0″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.27.4″ _module_preset=”default” custom_margin=”||-3px|||” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Event Purpose<\/h3>\n

Getting a degree is just one component of the college experience. Students must also address the dreaded and anxiety-inducing question: \u201cWhat do I do with this degree!?!\u201d In my opinion, answering this question is one of the most difficult aspects of college for students\u2014or at least it was for me when I was in their shoes! There\u2019s often more jobs out there in the working world that are relevant to a student\u2019s major than they originally think\u2014they just don\u2019t know those jobs exist! And why would they if no one tells them about those jobs or they can\u2019t be easily researched online? This conundrum for our SEES students is what motivated our Government and Industry Careers Panel. The purpose of this event was to expose SEES students to the different kinds of Earth science jobs that are out there. We wanted the panel to be an opportunity for students to network with successful professionals, learn exactly what a person does in different Earth science jobs, and obtain advice on how to get the jobs they are interested in!<\/p>\n

Summary<\/h3>\n

Three amazing SEES alumni kindly devoted their time to be speakers at our event, all of whom are employed in a government agency or the private industry:<\/p>\n