CULTIVATING PROFESSIONAL CONNECTIONS AND CAREER PATHWAYS FOR UNDERGRADUATE EARTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE MAJORS AT WESTERN OREGON UNIVERSITY

The Earth and Environmental Science (EES) program at Western Oregon University (WOU) provides an undergraduate education with an emphasis on scientific methods, problem solving, and interdisciplinary science. A key objective is to prepare students for careers as professional geoscientists. Workforce skill competencies are embedded within various levels of the course curriculum as part of the program degree structures, so that graduates can apply lessons learned to solve geoscience problems throughout their careers.

The EES major provides a direct pathway to the licensure process in a degree-qualifying profession as registered geologists, administered by the Oregon State Board of Geologist Examiners. In support of this outcome, faculty have partnered with our alumni base to organize the WOU Earth Science Alumni Society affinity group, a goal of which is to advance the program in support of undergraduate mentoring and job placement in the broad spectrum of geoscience professions. Examples of mentoring activities and sponsored projects include: (1) networking events, (2) alumni lecture series, (3) guest speakers from industry, (4) student participation at professional society meetings, (5) fund raising for endowed scholarships, and (6) installation of a campus groundwater laboratory to support training in water resources.

To assess the effectiveness of the mentoring connections, faculty have tracked students and graduates through several different mechanisms including the collection of course enrollment data, review of advising records, alumni surveys, and social networking. A post-baccalaureate career outcomes survey was conducted for students who completed the program between 1999 and 2022, covering a total of 126 alumni. Job placement in related employment sectors is summarized as follows, as a percent of total: Construction 3.2, Education 16.7, Environmental 8.7, Geotechnical 5.6, GIS 10.3, Military 3.2, Mining/Energy Resources 4.0, Natural Resources 8.7, Parks 4.0, Water Resources 8.7, Other Employment Sectors 11.1, Unknown 15.9. A total of 21 students in the survey group advanced to master’s-level graduate programs. The next steps in EES program development includes implementing integrated strategies to recruit diverse cohorts of underrepresented students in their first two years of college.