Green Careers Workshop

In the same way that I.T. - information technologies - was one of the principal drivers of economic growth in the past quarter century, the prolific New York Times columnist Tom Friedman has been famously saying that E.T. - energy technologies - will be the next great global industry. "Green tech" is one of the fastest growing sectors of our economy and workers in the industry not only command higher salaries and increased job security, but they also can take solace in the fact that they are helping to improve the planet's environment and the people and places that depend on healthy ecosystems.

This program is appropriate for any student with an interest in renewable energy and other green industries. No prior coursework or experience is required, although students with some background in environmental science or policy may have additional opportunities available to them for the work-study component of the program.

Students in our 4-week Green Careers program will learn about the exciting career possibilities in renewable energy and other green industries, acquire knowledge of environmental science and policy, and explore the various ways that ecological problems are being solved. Students will begin developing the skills needed to be a leader in the new global economy through a dynamic combination of classroom and experiential learning 

As part of the classroom component students will be introduced to:

• The basic principles of sustainable development emphasizing the interconnected economic, social, and ecological functions that natural resources serve;
• Some of the most challenging problems facing society and our interaction with the natural world in areas such as water, energy, health, agriculture, and biodiversity;
• And the ways that various industries are developing green initiatives and the influence of policy on business decisions concerning the environment. 

For the experiential education aspect of the program, students will be split into groups and work on a single project during the course of the program. For example, this could be:

• Researching and writing a white paper for a policy issue at the local or state level
• Providing support to an environmental consulting firm on a particular project
• Or conducting field research for a local non-profit addressing water quality or some other issue

Instructor Bio: Dr. Stephen Nodvin is an Associate Professor of Natural  Sciences at Wentworth Institute of Technology. His background is in science, and technology and has held held leadership positions in academia, government, and business. Nodvin has served as a government researcher and administrator, university professor, business owner and entrepreneur, and technical consultant. As a Predoctoral Fellow at Cornell University, he completed his doctoral research on biogeochemical processes in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. His research areas have included studying multiple environmental impacts to natural ecosystems including: global climate change; atmospheric deposition and air pollution; acid mine drainage; construction impacts on streams, forest management, invasive and introduced species, and fire management

Nodvin has been teaching high school, college, and graduate students about environmental and energy issues for many years. He is a member of the stewardship committee of the Encyclopedia of Earth, a peer reviewed online electronic reference about the Earth, its natural environments, and their interaction with society. The Encyclopedia is a free, fully searchable collection of articles written by scholars, professionals, educators, and experts who collaborate and review each other's work. The articles are written in non-technical language and will be useful to students, educators, scholars, professionals, as well as to the general public.

As part of his efforts for outreach to the general public, Dr. Nodvin, working with Al Gore's Climate Project, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and other organizations, has given scores of presentations and testimony on issues including global warming, energy resources, and green careers to groups of all kinds including elementary and high schools, college and graduate classes, civic groups, faith organizations, and hearings held by legislators in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.