College of Agriculture & Natural Resources Department of Community Sustainability

There is a critical need for dedicated and knowledgeable individuals working in all sectors to address environmental problems to achieve sustainable communities across Michigan. Megan Reed, a graduate of MSU Department of Community Sustainability (CSUS), is one of those individuals who works to help keep Michigan residents safe.

Reed shares her path to her dream career at the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy doing remediation and redevelopment work when there are environmental contamination situations across Michigan. Working full time during her degree, Reed found the community within CSUS provided significant support to help her navigate the multiple responsibilities.

Reed says of her CSUS instructors, “The ability to have flexibility in my schedule and CSUS professors being so accommodating and helpful was amazing.” Read below to learn more about Megan’s experience and trajectory since graduation. This interview has been lightly edited for clarity and length.

Name:

Megan Reed 

Degree and Major:

B.S. in Environmental Science and Sustainability 

Graduated:

2022

Why did you choose the Environmental Science and Sustainability major and why MSU?

I chose the Environmental Science and Sustainability major because I was really interested in the classes that were involved in the major. The courses were a real deciding factor for me when I thought about preparing for my future and what I actually want to do.

I chose MSU because of the reputation, hearing that it was the best place to study for anything to do with environmental science in Michigan. I felt like going to MSU would give me the best-rounded education because they have a great program with the teachers and classes and I wanted to go to the place that had the best resources available.

What did you do after graduation?

Right after graduation, I was working at Consumers Energy. Before MSU, I was attending Lansing Community College (LCC) and working in Consumers Energy in the environmental science division. Once I finished my degree at LCC, I transferred to MSU and I kept my position at Consumers Energy while I was working on my degree at MSU. After I finished my Bachelor of Science at MSU, I stayed at Consumers Energy. I was interested in the work at the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE), so I transitioned to EGLE about a year after graduation and am still there now.

What is your current work?

I work for Remediation and Redevelopment  Division at EGLE within Geological services. This work entails anything from ground water, soil, air. We’re basically the people that the state of Michigan comes to for help with contamination.

What keeps you engaged in your work?

What keeps me engaged is the opportunity to make a difference. Everyone has a different idea of what environmental sustainability looks like and working for the state, we’re finding issues that affect the people of Michigan. We’re always working to figure out how to remediate environmental problems that are putting people’s lives at risk. 

What do you like most about your experience in the Department of Community Sustainability?

I really appreciated the help that I received from faculty in CSUS. My academic advisor in CSUS, Dr. Mike Everett, was critical in helping me navigate everything. I grew up in an area that only had 19 kids in our graduating class and I’m the first in family to go to college. When I came to MSU, I had just finished my degree at LCC and I knew I wanted to go to MSU to get my bachelor’s degree. I already knew my goal, but the resources and support my professors in CSUS gave me helped me accomplish my goals. The big class sizes in college were difficult for me at first, but having a great advisor like Mike was helpful to me in finishing my degree and achieving my goals.

Any thoughts or advice for current students?

Talk to your professors and use the resources available to you. There are so many different jobs out here in environmental science field. If it’s what you want to do, and you’re paying to be in school- use the resources and don’t give up on your passion and pathway because it’s worth it.

What is your favorite memory from your experience in our department?

Most of my time at MSU was unfortunately during the Covid-19 pandemic and my classes were online during that time. My favorite class was the environmental film class, seeing a different way you can reach out and speak to people about environmental issues. That is my favorite memory, realizing that this is something eye-opening in a way to connect about environmental issues.

Were there any specific experiences or aspect of your educational experience in the department that helped prepare you in your career pathway?

I got a lot of support from the professors and spoke with each of my course professors to let them know that I’m working full time AND doing school. The ability to have flexibility in my schedule and CSUS professors being so accommodating and helpful was amazing. I also really like my class with Dr. Crystal Eustice. In her course I was able to apply my real-world experience as a part of my internship and explore how it relates to sustainability issues from an educational perspective.