Lakeland College students will still be getting their chance to present new, up and coming green projects virtually at the Conference on Environmental Management this year.
Normally in March, students in the Bachelor of Applied Science-Environmental Management course would gather with industry leaders to present their practicum projects and make connections, but the COVID-19 pandemic has made the event go entirely online.
The presentations are part of the student’s requirements to graduate, but on top of that, Environmental Sciences Practicum Coordinator and Instructor Dr. Nicole Nadorozny says it helps students make invaluable connections with people in their field and exhibit the college’s programs to others.
“It not only shows what the students can do, but what they’re capable of, in terms of thinking outside of the box and really bringing a complete project to fruition.”
Instead of one day, the conference will now be split over three. The first day, March 16th, will be devoted entirely to projects in vegetation recovery and land-water interaction. The second day, March 18th, is for environmental protection technologies and the third is March 25th, which will cover species protection and water quality monitoring.
Nadorozny notes that students have been creating apps, working on projects using drones and using cutting edge tech to find new ways to protect the environment with the help of their host agencies during their practicums.
She says attendees, especially those in industry, could come away with new ideas, and students with a career path by the end.
“A lot of other industries that come to watch their presentations, hear certain talks, they then focus in on those students and then sometimes end up offering them job opportunities.”
Two students, to be determined at the conference, will come away with an award, one in Reclamation and Remediation and the second being in Environmental Monitoring and Protection.
The Conference on Environmental Management is free to attend, but due to limited space, people are asked to reserve a spot in advance.