PSM Stories from the Environmental Sciences Graduate Program

Zoë Jans earned her B.S. in Sustainable Agriculture from the University of Connecticut, where she developed a strong interest in soil systems, plant communities, and in developing agricultural systems that support both ecological health and long-term resilience. She went on to complete a Professional Science Master’s in Environmental Science at Oregon State University, with a concentration in natural resource management and a focus in applied ecology. During her graduate work, she conducted… more

Brian Bardellini is a graduate student in the Professional Science Master’s program in Environmental Sciences at Oregon State University, where his work centers on integrated, place-based approaches to invasive species management, regenerative agriculture, and community-driven environmental systems in Hawai‘i. His research focuses on the coconut rhinoceros beetle and the development of scalable, non-chemical mitigation strategies that combine biological control, soil health optimization,… more

Olivia grew up in a small, rural town in Southern Ohio knowing she wanted to someday work with animals. While pursuing her undergraduate degree in zoology at Ohio State University, she completed a summer internship at Sea Life Park on the island of Oahu and fell in love with the ocean. She lived on Oahu for five years working in fish and invertebrate husbandry for institutions like Waikiki Aquarium and Biota. Olivia now lives and works in Southern California focusing on endangered species… more

Austin Carey earned his undergraduate degree in insect biology from Purdue University in Indiana. He has spent many years working in insect research labs across the country and hopes to use his expertise in entomology and his Professional Science Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences to continue his career in the field of conservation, with insects or otherwise.

Laura Gregory has held a lifelong passion for the environmental sciences. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree at University of Oregon in Environmental Science, and a Master of Science degree in Biology, where her research focused on how a changing environment may affect anaerobic carbon cycling in a Minnesota peat bog. At Oregon State University, Laura completed a Professional Science Master’s degree with a focus on quantitative analysis, along with a graduate certificate in geographic… more

Lee Vought completed his B.S. in Environmental Science from the University of North Carolina, Asheville. Since then, he has moved back to his native Michigan and settled in West Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan. Specializing in water treatment, he has earned multiple state licenses for both municipal and industrial/commercial water treatment, a water resource and recovery technician certificate from the Michigan water and environment association (MWEA) and a watershed management… more

Daniel Gonzalez is a Professional Science Master’s graduate in Environmental Sciences with a focus in Ecology. Prior to his time at Oregon State University (2024-2026) he completed a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology at Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oegon (2019-2023). During his time in higher education his academic interests have been in conservation and restoration. Through his coursework he built a foundation of knowledge in his area of interest and a combination of… more

Sierra Lepiane was raised in Eastern Oregon where she learned to love all things biological. She is a 2026 graduate from Gary R. Carlson, MD, College of Veterinary Medicine at Oregon State University, intends to be a general practitioner working with as many species as possible, and hopes to stay involved in research. Her PSM internship was on wildfire smoke and the impacts of atmospheric particulate matter on livestock, particularly dairy calves. She is looking forward to building on the… more

Abigail Grace Williams is a Professional Science Master ’ s graduate in Environmental Sciences from Oregon State University. Her work focuses on applied sustainability, pollution prevention, and circular economy systems. During her PSM internship with Revino Inc., she supported the development of Oregon’s refillable glass bottle infrastructure by leading outreach to beverage partners and conducting a technical evaluation of bottle-washing chemicals and regulatory considerations. Abigail is… more

Zoe Vincent earned her bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Earth and Planetary Sciences from Northwestern University in 2023. During her undergraduate studies, she was actively involved in Dr. Maggie Osburn’s Isotope Geochemistry Lab, where she conducted research using stable isotopes to investigate micro- and macro-ecological processes in Mammoth Cave National Park, Kentucky. She is currently an Earth Scientist at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), working with the… more