When I introduce myself for the first time, people are often surprised by what they hear. “Creative writing and environmental studies?” They’ll say. “That’s an interesting combo.” I wasn’t always carrying this dual focus. 

Stephanie recently graduated from UW after completing her degree through the Program on the Environment. But before graduation, she embarked on a year-long senior Capstone project to examine the links between sustainable agriculture, environmental justice, and farmworker rights. 

Our alumni are doing amazing things! Read below to hear Mia Nelson, a 2024 graduate of the Program on the Environment, share about her work with Nature Adventure Trek in Seattle’s Discovery Park. 

Victoria Bigga, Leo Reitan Endowed Scholarship
Victoria is an Environmental Studies and  Law, Societies, & Justice double major, graduating in the Spring 2027. As well as being a student, she is a project manager for the Foster School’s Net Impact Consultancy where she works with outside businesses on sustainability and environmental awareness through research and marketing projects. 

Congratulations to PoE Professor P. Sean McDonald on his latest publication in Frontiers in Marine Science! The research article, titled “High resolution monitoring of Salish Sea estuarine communities through participatory science”, is a collaboration with colleagues from Washington Sea Grant, the Program on the Environment, and the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. 

The Program on the Environment will host the Autumn 2025 Capstone Symposium on Tuesday, November 25th (online) AND on Tuesday, December 2nd (in person) at the UW School of Aquatic Fisheries & Science.  

Join PoE Director L. Monika Moskal & PoE Advisor Derek Lee for a series of Career Pathfinding workshops this fall — food provided! These workshops are designed to help you reflect on your strengths, interests, and priorities in order to identify what matters most to you during your job search. 

If you are walking around Greenlake, eating at a restaurant in the Chinatown International District or even out exploring in Bremerton, chances are that some of the businesses around you have been visited by a pair of WM Recycle Corps Interns. 

There is some serendipity in everyone’s journey, and for Maisie Walker, a chance encounter led her to spend this summer serving an internship at a golf course and creating her future. 

Four University of Washington researchers have been selected as Fulbright Scholars for 2025-2026 and will pursue studies in Spain, Taiwan, Poland and Japan.
The scholars are Jamie Donatuto, a clinical associate professor in the Department of Environment & Occupational Health Sciences; Shelly Gray, a professor in the School of Pharmacy; Michael Kula, an associate professor in the School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences at UW Tacoma; and Yen-Chu Weng, an assistant teaching professor in the College of the Environment.