Presentation at 2014 Massachusetts Sustainable Communities and Campuses Conference

1. _________________________________________________________________
Internships and Placements
Clean Energy & Sustainability Programs, UMass Boston
Vesela Veleva, Sc.D.
4th MA Sustainable Communities/3rd MA Sustainable Campuses Conference
Lowell, MA, April 17, 2014

2. Overview
 SERC – mission and activities
 Sustainability Education at UMass Boston
 Green Internship Program
 Lessons Learned and Advice for Students

3. SERC Mission
Our mission is to foster a transition to a clean,
sustainable, and prosperous economy. We apply
our unique interdisciplinary expertise and engage
in collaborations among businesses, universities,
and policymakers to advance research, education,
and innovative solutions for business sustainability
and regional competitiveness.

4. Research and Funding

5. Sustainability Education
 Undergraduate Certificate and Minor in Clean
Energy and Sustainability (CES)
 Graduate Certificate in Clean Energy and
Sustainability
 MBA Specialization in Environmental
Management
 Ph.D. program in Organizations and Social
Change (launched Sept. 2012)

6. Education – Professional Development

7. Sustainability-related courses
 MGT481: Introduction to environmental management and clean
energy (undergrad)
 EEOS 364: Environmental management and sustainability
 MGTMBA671: Introduction to environmental management
 MGTMBA678: Environmental management-operational issues
 MGTMBA688: Business, energy and climate change
 EEOS684/EEOS384/MGT674: Climate and energy: law, policy
and management
 ECON/EEOS 670/675: Environmental economics
 MGT684: Social enterprise
 MGT697: Clean Tech Entrepreneurship (new)

8. Education – Business Involvement in
CES programs
 Course Projects (e.g., MGT481): Raytheon, PartnersHealth,
Energi and PerkinElmer
 Guest speakers: State Street, Ernst & Young, Staples, EMC,
Stonyfield Farm, Seventh Generation, Safe That Stuff, Devens
Enterprise Commission, JPNDC, etc.
 Events: Annual Green Careers Forum, Fracking event, IT and
Sustainability, etc.
 Internships (Green Internship Program)

9. Green Internship Program
- launched in Nov. 2012
 Phase 1: Posting available internships and jobs on SERC website
and updating weekly (www.umb.edu/serc/internships). Over
100 internships posted since November 2012.
 Phase 2: Collaboration with UMass Boston Office of Career
Services and Internships to better prepare students to land an
internship/job and track them (e.g., Green Internship Program
Workshop in Nov. 2013, Annual Green Careers Forum, MA
CEC Internships Info Session)
 Phase 3: Working one on one with each CES student, obtaining
and evaluating feedback from interns and employers to further
improve the program

10. CES Internships & Companies
 About 20 students presently enrolled (6 MBA, 4
grad certificate, 10 undergrad minor/certificate)
 Majors: finance, supply-chain management,
environmental science, management, economics,
English, criminal justice
 Types of internships: research, marketing,
analytics, sales, organizing, etc.
 Types of organizations: companies, NGOs,
government organizations

11. Currently available internships
www.umb.edu/serc/internships

12. Examples of Organizations
Offering Internships
Companies
 Altenex
 Clean Tech Companies (MA CEC)
 EnerNOC
 Green Century Capital
Management
 Next Step Living
 Power Home Remodeling Group
 Preserve
 Seeding Labs
 Systainalytics
 Sustainable Minds
NGOs/Government
 A Better City
 Environment Massachusetts
 Environmental Defense Fund
 JPNDC
 National Park Service
 Product Stewardship Institute
 Provincetown Center for Coastal
Studies
 RI Dept. of Transportation

13. Events

14. Past SERC Events
 Hydraulic Fracturing: Understanding the Water-Energy Nexus
(with Jim Matheson, CEO Oasys Water; Rich Liroff, IEHN)
 IT and Sustainability (Kathrin Winkler, CSO at EMC)
 Environmental Sustainability at State Street (with Peter DeBruin,
VP Environmental Affairs at State Street)
 Sustainability in the Supply Chain (with Ernst & Young and
Staples)
 Greenovation event with Brian Swett, Chief of Energy and
Environment, City of Boston

15. Lessons Learned and Advice for Students
 There is a wide variety of jobs today that require knowledge and expertise related to sustainability
and clean energy, ranging across sectors and functions
 Experience is crucial and internships are one of the best ways to develop relevant skills
 Passion for sustainability is key; students should not be afraid to take a job with less initial pay to
get onto the track they want
 Most employers are looking for a functional skill set first and foremost – accounting, engineering,
science, marketing etc. – and an interest in and knowledge of sustainability/clean energy in
addition to that
 Taking an entry level job can sometimes be the best way to grow and "design" your own
sustainability-related position
 In the sustainability field where things change so fast, ongoing education is very important
 The best way to show value to a current or prospective employer is to think about the problems
we face today and seek innovative solutions

16. Q&A
Thank You!
Vesela.Veleva@umb.edu
www.umb.edu/serc