ssekkmmiles – coexist

Sanya Bery ‘21 graduated from Wes with majors in government and environmental studies. She is currently a graduate candidate in environmental justice, sustainable development, and urban planning at the University of Michigan.

As an environmental studies student at Wesleyan, how did your academic and extracurricular experiences shape your decision to pursue graduate studies in environmental justice and urban planning?
The Bailey College of the Environment was such a unique program; it approached environmental issues through a justice-oriented lens, which isn’t common for undergrad programs. If not for the COE, I might have felt hesitant about pursuing this path because environmental studies can feel so focused on pure science and conservation. My thesis project with Professor Haddad, which analyzed the ambitious aspects of Middletown’s Climate Action Plan, prepared me well for graduate school.

This past June, E&ES major Finn Guillemin ‘27 participated in an incredible hands-on learning experience through the YMCA of the Pines in Western New Jersey: getting his wildfire firefighter certification.

Finn’s decision to pursue certification was heavily influenced by a course he took in spring 2024: Fire Ecology and Management/ENVS329, taught by Professor Helen Poulos. The course focuses on fire as a fundamental ecological disturbance process that shapes plant communities globally. In the course, students explore how climate change and human land use have altered fire behavior, disrupting many species. The course also examines shifting fire regimes over time, from indigenous fire practices to contemporary fire management. The mix of in-class lectures, field exercises, and discussions fueled Finn’s curiosity and desire for hands-on experience.

bery ’21 studies city-level climate planning

envs course inspires guillemin ’27 to obtain wildfire cert