Over 60 prospective graduate students descended on the University of Colorado's Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community (SEEC) Building on Friday, April 5 for the 2019 Masters of the Environment (MENV) Admitted Students Weekend. Their arrival marked the second day of the weekend-long event, which featured a film night, information sessions, a student panel, a hike in Chautauqua Park, and more.
Attendees arrived in Boulder on Thursday, April 4 from across the country, hailing from places like Kansas City, Missouri, Bozeman, Montana, and Savannah, Georgia. One admitted student even visited all the way from Brazil. Others didn’t have to travel as far, as many in attendance came from various Colorado communities.
The first event of the weekend was a networking and film night at The Post Brewing Co. in downtown Boulder. The MENV welcomed Boulder’s first Chief Resilience Officer, Greg Guibert, who helped set the context for the evening’s short film, Knee Deep. The film highlighted the story of a community group called the Mudslingers, which formed to help victims of the devastating Colorado flood of 2013, and in the process discovered the power of helping others. Alisa Geiser, a local videographer and co-director of Knee Deep, was available to answer questions from the audience about the film, the Mudslingers, and what communities can do to emulate Boulder’s success story.
The following day was filled with interactive information sessions, beginning with an overview of the program and insight into the MENV curriculum. Students then broke out into their preferred specialization groups to learn more about their respective courses of study.
After lunch, the attendees heard from a group of current and former students on topics ranging from course work to job prospects. The student panel answered questions about life in Boulder and reiterated the unique combination and learning, professional, and adventure that the MENV program offers.
Following the panel, students had the opportunity to tour the University of Colorado Campus, including the Sustainability, Energy and Environment Community building. Tour-goers were then kicked back with current students, faculty, staff, and even a couple of advisory board members, at the Rayback Collective for a program-wide happy hour.
Reflecting on the jam-packed day of information and events, prospective student Samantha Albert remarked on the community that MENV has built around the degree.
“Since first learning about the MENV program, I have been most excited about joining forces with other environmentally-minded thought leaders,” said Albert. “MENV clearly prides itself on creating a strong sense of community, and I could not be more thrilled to be a future student and to learn from the experiences and perspectives of others within this community.”
On the final day of admitted-student events, attendees had the option of taking a ranger-guided hike in the shadow of the Flatirons at Chautauqua Park or attend the first Boulder Farmers Market of the year. Both events were followed with a send-off lunch at The Med, a local downtown favorite.
“The weekend was a tremendous success,” remarked MENV Assistant Director of Recruitment and External Relations, Myles Maland. “While we always strive to give admitted students a closer look at the curriculum and Capstone Project, our faculty, staff, and students really go the extra mile to show our recruits what it would be like to live, work, and play in the broader university and Boulder communities.
MENV staff expect to enroll a class of roughly 80 students beginning in August of 2019. The new cohort will be the program’s fourth since its inception in 2016. Prospective students interesting in applying for the MENV Class of 2021 should visit the MENV website or contact MENV’s Recruitment & Outreach Specialist Laura Fisher via email at laura.d.fisher@colorado.edu. Applications for admission will open in August 2019.