Tuesday, September 13, 2016

EPA Job Posting (Environmental Engineer)

Environmental Engineer

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

Agency Contact Information
Agency: Environmental Protection Agency
Number of Job Opportunities & Location(s): 1 vacancies - Chicago, Illinois
Salary: $55,666.00 to $84,489.00 / Per Year
Series and Grade: GS-0819-09/11
Open Period: Monday, September 12, 2016 to Friday, September 16, 2016
Position Information: Permanent - Full-time
Who May Apply: Any U.S. citizen may apply. 



Job Overview

Summary

This position is located in Region 5, Air and Radiation Division, Air Programs Branch, Air Permits Section, Chicago, IL. 
For more information on this office, visit their website: Region 5

Except in special circumstances, those new to the federal government will be hired at the starting salary (step 1) of the applicable grade range listed above.

Duties

At the entry level of this position, you will:
  • Assist in providing engineering, regulatory, and programmatic advice, oversight and assistance to state governments on matters relating to the development and execution of environmental protection policies, plans, and programs.
  • Assist in reviewing permit applications and evaluating performance of state programs.
  • Assist in providing technical and programmatic support for air quality.
  • Negotiate with other agency officials and other interested parties to resolve issues related to permit requirements.
When entering a Federal job at a grade level lower than the highest promotion potential level, you may be promoted to more complex duties and work more independently, as your career progresses.

You will spend less than 25% of your work time on contracts, grants/cooperative agreements, and/or interagency agreements.

Tuesday, September 6, 2016

Renewable Energy Student Organization at NIU

The Green Program: Winter & Spring Break 2017 | Peru and Iceland Abroad


A whole new kind of back to school
Don't just go back to campus this fall, lead with experience

This winter & spring break, we invite you to join The GREEN Program abroad in the world’s leading destinations for sustainable development:
Peru & Iceland






The GREEN Program unlocks doors for students to gain exclusive education, industry access, and authentic bucket-list experiences around the world. Through our accredited, career-focused 8 to 10 day programs, we exist to use the world as our classroom in order to give meaning and purpose to education, adventure, and life.

Join a community of students leaders and young professionals who have consciously chosen to pursue a future of possibilities and are determined to be part of the solutions toward a better world.


Early Registration Specials Now Available!

Plan ahead! Lock in your reduced GREEN program fee by securing your spot on an upcoming GREEN adventure with your deposit. For more information & program fee specifics for each program session and month, please visit our FAQ.
* Early Registration Specials are only available for accepted GREEN student(s) who have not yet secured their spot(s).


Iceland: 
Renewable Energy & Sustainability 

Winter: 
[1] December 14 - 21, 2016 
[2] January 4 - 11, 2017 

Spring: 
[1] March 5 - 12, 2017 
[2] March 12 - 19, 2017

Peru:
 Water Resource Management & Sustainable Practices 

Winter:
January 4 - 13, 2017

Spring:
March 12 - 20, 2017




"By applying to this program, [you'll make] a huge leap for your future[You will] dive into a completely new world with new people in a new place. It'll change you. You're going to feel all of the emotions. Expand your mind about topics and get a hands-on experience for what really matters in the world. You're going to love the people you meet. You'll never want to leave the place you pick. This is an opportunity you earned and should be proud of for getting chosen. Here's some advice: ask questions. Get to know the others on your trip. Eat something weird. Do something everyday that scares you. Thi! nk and reflect on your days on this trip because you'll never have this same experience again. You're going to do great things, kid." 
Jessie S.

Loyola University '16
Business, Marketing major



Follow our adventures!
#onlyontheGREENprogram

   

 



The Conservation Foundation Employment Opportunity



Monday, August 29, 2016

7 Reasons To Choose Environmental Studies

Link to story

7 reasons to choose environmental studies

Why students are flocking to NIU’s green degree


NIU kicked off the environmental studies program in 2012, and already it has become the largest program of its kind in the state, with more than 150 students majoring in the area of study.
So what’s up with environmental studies? We asked students and faculty that question and came up with a list of seven reasons students are flocking to the major.
  • 1

    NIU professor Holly Jones (left) conducting research with students Heather Herakovich (center) and Angela Burke at the Nachusa Grasslands preserve near Dixon, Ill.

    NIU professor Holly Jones (left) conducting research with students Heather Herakovich and Angela Burke at the Nachusa Grasslands preserve.

    Enjoy the great outdoors

    Raise your hand if you’d like to be cooped up in a cubicle for 40 hours each week? You won’t see many volunteers here. “I chose to be an environmental studies major because I don't want a typical 9-to-5 job,” says NIU senior Adam Czamanske, 24, of Glen Ellyn. “I would rather have a career working outdoors that not only financially supports me, but also benefits the environment.”

  • 2

    Professor Neil Blackstone and his students are studying reefs and conducting research on the serious problem of coral bleaching.

    Professor Neil Blackstone and his students are studying reefs and conducting research on the serious problem of coral bleaching.

    Make a difference

    Young people today are eager to improve the world we live in, and environmental studies is a make-a-difference major. “I love that this major allows me to help both myself and others reconnect with our surroundings,” says Cora Dyslin, 21, a senior from Tinley Park majoring in environmental studies with an emphasis in biodiversity and minoring in biology. “I also love that I can get a job that will allow me to help benefit the environment, which in turn benefits society and future generations.”

  • 3

    NIU students work to promote the coexistence of people and wildlife in Madagascar

    NIU students work to promote the coexistence of people and wildlife in Madagascar

    See the world

    Cora Dyslin suggests one more reason for choosing environmental studies. Many NIU students conduct environmental research while pursuing their degrees. Often, the work requires travel, so you could get a chance to see the world. NIU students, for example, have worked in Mexico, Myanmar, Madagascar, Indonesia and New Zealand—in addition to sites in the Midwest. “It gives me the opportunity to travel, discover and study amazing things—and to help mitigate the damage that humans have done to the environment,” Dyslin adds.
  • 4

    Expertise is needed to help solve difficult environmental challenges facing our world today.Develop expertise that matters—to everyone

    Expertise is needed to help solve difficult environmental challenges facing our world today
    Our world today faces serious environmental challenges—pollution, climate change and species extinction, to name a few. These challenges will require significant adjustments in the way we work, play, live and govern. “Everybody will need to become more educated about environmental issues—whether to learn how to adapt to these changes or mitigate them—and we'll need some people who are particularly specialized,” says professor Emily McKee, who holds a joint appointment with anthropology and environmental studies. “This means your degree in environmental studies will be highly relevant as you start your career after college.”
  • 5

    NIU students conduct water-quality research in the laboratory of Professor Melissa Lenczewski.Gain a better understanding of the world around you

    NIU students conduct water-quality research in the laboratory of Professor Melissa Lenczewski
    What happens to the garbage we put on the curb? How do soil microbes affect the health of people? How will climate change influence the animals around us? How does environmental policy impact sustainability and alternative energy? Environmental studies, as opposed to environmental science, gives you a more complete understanding of the role of people in critical environmental issues and how they can be mobilized to help solve problems. “There are far fewer programs in environmental studies than in environmental science, so we'll have a real need for individuals who can work across disciplines such as biology, economics and anthropology,” McKee says.
  • 6

    NIU’s full-service greenhouse provides a green laboratory for faculty and students.Choose from a lot of career options

    NIU's full-service greenhouse provides a green laboratory for faculty and students
    You'll be preparing yourself for a career that can include everything from crunching numbers at a desk (that is, if you like the cubicle idea), to gathering plant and water samples in the field, to interviewing residents about disaster preparedness, to meeting with lawmakers in Washington to influence policy.

  • 7

    According to USA Today, the U.S. wind energy industry is the fastest-growing new source of electricity in the country. Enter a fast-growing job sector


    Environmental career options are thriving, according to monster.com. NIU professor Holly Jones, who holds a joint NIU appointment with biology and environmental studies, says students, when considering employment-growth areas, should “think clean energy, corporate sustainability and ecological restoration.”