Undergraduate degree: West Point, Economics, 2006

Dual degree: Business

Age: 29

Prior to SNRE: I was a Captain in the U.S. Army where I served in different roles. I began my career with a 15-month deployment as a Fire Support Officer in Kamdesh, Afghanistan. After that experience, I served as a Minority Admissions Officer for the United States Military Academy. And finally, I finished my military career as a Recruiting Company Commander.

Why Sustainable Systems and Environmental Justice?: I was interested in getting an interdisciplinary experience. I believe the classes under the Sustainable Systems umbrella are very interesting and necessary for my future profession in business. However, that is only one part of the equation. It is important that we recognize that environmental effects may disproportionately affect low-income and minority individuals. To that end, I am pursing the Environmental Justice field of study as well as Sustainable Systems.  

The best part of SNRE so far: My classmates! Everyone here has an interesting background. In addition, there are students from around the globe represented at SNRE, which allows you to gain a better understanding of different perspectives on sustainability and the environment.

“SNREdiest” thing he’s done: I have joined the student club UM Bees. I had no experience with bees, but now I am learning their importance to our planet. During this semester, we will construct three hives, which is very exciting.  The confluence of learning and doing has been amazing. Plus, the opportunity to eat more honey is great!  It's a win-win.

After graduation: I plan to pursue a career in strategy consulting. I want to help organizations develop sustainability strategies that guide them to reduce their carbon footprints, diminish their negative externalities, and increase overall efficiency and profitability.