Caren Fitzgerald collaborating with coworkers

DNREC post

2015 UD graduate lands government career in climate change

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8:51 a.m., May 4, 2016--Last year, the millennial generation made up about 40 percent of the unemployed in the United States. Though the job market is slowly improving, many graduates struggle to land any job let alone a “dream job.” 

But for Caren Fitzgerald, a 2015 graduate of University of Delaware’s College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment, a strong initiative paid off. She has landed a job that perfectly combines her two passions — writing and the environment — working as the community relations officer for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control’s (DNREC) Division of Energy and Climate. 

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In this role, the UD alumna, who graduated last May, combines the skills she learned through her environmental studies and professional writing majors to collaborate with partners and local government to reduce energy use and prepare for climate change in the state. She also works with state partners on sustainability planning and on communications programs to promote renewable energy, clean transportation, climate readiness and energy-efficient homes and businesses.

Fitzgerald aims to build educational outreach by breaking down an issue as complex as climate change in ways that citizens and local businesses can understand. She does this in a multitude of ways — from talking with local residents at community events, to creating and distributing educational materials and developing online social media campaigns.

Creating this connection with the public has helped Fitzgerald to develop a multidisciplinary perspective. Thanks to DNREC’s countless resources and partners, she is able to think as a scientist and member of the public, one of the reasons she decided to pursue a career in government. 

Fitzgerald realized the importance of understanding the many sides of these complex scientific issues while an environmental studies student at UD.  She loved both science and writing, and after noticing a gap between the two fields, she added a second major in professional writing. 

“There are a lot of writers who struggle to process science, and a lot of scientists who struggle to write for a general audience,” said Fitzgerald. She explained that combining the two would bridge a gap between two very distinct but important fields.

What some would call an epiphany, Fitzgerald calls the foundation of her career.

Fitzgerald applies the skills she learned from both majors to her projects at DNREC. One of her favorite experiences so far, she said, was challenging community children to participate in a “Winter Weather Scavenger Hunt” to unplug unused chargers and work with parents to increase energy efficiency in everyday tasks. Fitzgerald conceived the idea as a creative way to help children and families understand the importance of energy conservation. 

As a professional writing major at UD, she honed her ability to communicate science in a way that an average citizen can understand and appreciate, while also identifying ways that they can help or become involved. She remembers refining her writing skills and learning time management and prioritizing skills as an intern with CEOE’s Environmental Public Education Office.

Similarly, as an environmental studies major, Fitzgerald recalled the importance of a multidisciplinary perspective. She acknowledged that UD professor Josh Duke’s Environmental Economics and Environmental Law classes broadened her understanding of complex environmental issues and their equally complex solutions. 

“The interdisciplinary education that I received in CEOE prepared me to look at environmental issues from many different angles and understand how individuals are affected by them and I see that coming into play in my current job,” she said.

Fitzgerald also credits her UD education with preparing her for life after college. In particular, she remembers stepping out of her comfort zone and growing in unexpected ways while a study abroad student in London. She explained that working with town planners and learning about the relationship between people and the environment helped her to begin thinking logistically about environmental issues.

With the help of UD’s resources, guidance from faculty, her own hard work, and endless opportunities, Fitzgerald has found her niche. 

“You start to see those connections in everyday life and how things that you would have never considered can influence what you’re trying to accomplish,” she explained. “It’s a big difference having something be your hobby or interest and having it be your job. I’m really fortunate.”

Article by Laura Bilash

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