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.
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)
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
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
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