ALUMNI

Students in the Department of Geography & Environmental Studies have been remarkably successful in their careers after graduation. Many undergraduate students complete an internship near the end of their program, and many of these turn into full time job offers. An internship is an excellent way for a student to try a position, and for an employer to find suitable permanent employees by putting a nearly-graduated student in a temporary, often very responsible, position.

The following list includes mainly students from the department who are working in the environmental field. Unfortunately, we've lost track of many of our alumni, so this list is very incomplete. Alumni reading this list -- and not on it -- should let us know what you're doing now. There is a small form at the bottom of this page by which you can submit your information, or update, correct, or remove what is here.

Public Open Space and Natural Resource Agencies

Elected Leadership

• Cary Park District (Illinois)
• Phil Stanko, President

Planning and Management

•  Cook County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)
• Chet Ryndak, Conservation Supervisor (retired)
•   Kane County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)
• Drew Ullberg, Director of Natural Resources
• John DiFulvio, Area Manager
• Lake County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)
• James Anderson, Natural Resource Manager
• McHenry County Conservation District (Illinois)
• Ed Collins, Natural Resources Manager
• Linda Balek, Biological Data Base Worker
• Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
• Michael Martinez, Development and Acquisition Specialist
• Will County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)
• Marcella DeMauro, Executive Director


 Interpretation and Education

•   Cook County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)
• Irene Flebbe, Interpretive Naturalist, Sand Ridge Nature Center
• Nancy Halliday, Interpretive Naturalist, River Trail Nature Center
• Michelle Goldberg  Motlowitz, Interpretive Naturalist, River Trail Nature Center
•   DuPage County Forest Preserve District (Illinois)
• Margie Martinson, Interpretive Naturalist
• McHenry County Conservation District (Illinois)
• Patricia Runkels Sebastion, Education Services

Governmental Environmental Regulatory and Planning Agencies

• City of Chicago
• Ray Carrell, Director of Environment, OHare Airport
• Nicole Kamins, Dept of Environment
• John Raffetto, Garfield Park Conservatory
• Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission
• David Clark, Research Department
• Libby Hill, Associate Planner
• Irene Hogstrom, Associate Planner
• U.S. Department of Commerce Census Bureau
• Adam Gibson, GIS specialist Federal Bureau of Fire Arms
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region V
• George Azevedo, Water Program
• Pauline Gambill, Public Affairs
• Mick Hans, Media Relations
• Megan Gavin, Environmental Education Specialist
• Michael Gentleman, Water Resources
• George Opek, Environmental Scientist
• Karen Rodriguez
• Dolly Tong
• Holiday Wirick

Private Environmental, Consulting. Technology, and Service Firms

•  Earth Tech (Environmental Consulting)
• Teri Radke, Ecologist
• Geoanalytics (Geographics Information Systems, etc.)
• Peter Thumb, President
• Huff and Huff, LaGrange, IL (environmental consultants)
• James Novak, Senior Environmental Scientist
• Kowalenko & Bilotti, Inc. (Management, Engineering, and Environmental  Consultants)
• Tony Bilotti, Vice President and Technical Services  Director
• Carolyn Cullen, researcher
• Natural Areas Ecosystem Management
• Randy Stowe, President
• Karen Downing Stowe, Vice President
• Paramatrix, environmental consulting firm, Seattle
• Pat Togher, researcher
• Red Buffalo Nursery
• Jack Kaskel, Owner
• Scientific Control Laboratories, Chicago
• Dan Bell
• Wight Consulting
• Paul Jahn , GIS/Field Coordinator
• Witness Tree Native Landscapes
• Mary Zaander, Co-Owner


Not-for Profit Environmentally Related Organizations

•  Camp Maquoketa, Frankfort, IL
• Tina Riley, Guest Services Manager
• Chicago Botanic Garden
• Susanne Masi, Research Botanist
• Joan O’Shaughnessy, Ecologist
• Friends Committee on Unity with Nature of North America (Headquarters in Burlington, VT)
• Alice Howenstine, Member of Steering Committee
• Friends of the Chicago River
• Chris Parson, Manager of Education and Stewardship Programs
• Lincoln Park Zoo
• Andrew Henderson, Primate Area Supervisor
• McHenry County Defenders (Illinois) (“Citizens Working for a Healthy Environment”)
• Aimee Collins, Membership/Volunteer Coordinator
• Alice Howenstine, Member of Board of Directors and Manager  of  McHenry Recycling Center (volunteer)
• National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C.
• Janice Wolf, Senior Researcher, NG International Cable Channel
• Nature Conservancy (Illinois Chapter)
• Laurel Ross, Director of Conservation Programs
• Peggy Notebart Nature Museum
• Cynthia Vasquez, Supervisor of Volunteer Programs
• Prairie Club, (Chicago)
• Lorry Davies, Environmental Consultant and former  Executive Director


Industry

•  Motorola Corporation
• Kregg Salvino, Environmental Safety and Health Manager
• Weyerhaeuser Lumber
  • David Wing, Recycling

Education

• Joliet Junior College (Illinois)
• John Schroeder, Chairman, Geography Department
• North Side College Prep H.S.
• Jack Giles, Chair, Dept. Social Studies (retired)
• Northeastern Illinois University
• Libby Hill, Faculty
• Oakton Community College (Illinois)
• David Rodgers, Faculty, Environmental Science
• College of DuPage (Illiois)
• Keith Yearman, Tenured Faculty

International Resource Development

•  Mexican Office of Ecology, Mexico City
• David Salazar, Associate
• Toledo Institute for Development and the Environment (TIDE) Punta Gorda, Belize
• Wil Maheia, Executive Director

 
Published Authors of Environmentally Related Books

•  Richard Carter.  Cabin Fever, Dialogues with Nature.  St. Paul, MN: Galde Press.  1995.
•  Andrea Jauck (with Larry Points).

  Assateague, Island of the Wild Ponies.  New York: Macmillan. 1993.
___________.   Barrier Island Birds.  Mariposa, CA: Sierra Press.  2000.
•  Hill, Libby. The Chicago River: A Natural and Unnatural History.  Chicago: Lake Claremont Press. 2000
• Susanne Masi (with Thomas M.Antonio).

The Sunflower Family in the Upper Midwest.  Indianapolis: Indiana Academy of Science.  2001.


* Almost all of these students graduated with a degree in geography, environmental studies or and M.A. in G&ES.  A few are current student nearing completion.  Several did not complete their degrees, but associate themselves with the department anyway.

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Other Bachelor's and Master's degree graduates from Geography & Environmental Studies hold a wide variety of professional positions in their field. A sample of their job titles which was assembled at a different time from the list above, follows:

Geographic specialist, U.S. Bureau of the Census
Marketing Manager, MapPix
Director of Environmental Services, O'Hare Airport
Chief Radiation & Indoor Air, USEPA
Environmental Consultant, AIG Consultants, Inc.
Vice President, Kowalenko & Bilotti, Inc.
Instructor of Outdoor Teacher Education, Northern Illinois U. Lorado Taft Campus
GIS Analyst, Environmental Systems Design
Environmental Board, Village of Vernon Hills
Digitizer, Geonex (Des Plaines)
Planning Analyst, Illinois Department of Transportation
Superintendent of Revenue Facilities, Arlington Heights Park District
Coordinator of Exhibit Interpretation, Cumberland Science Museum
Military Environmental Specialist, Department of Military Affairs
Cartographer, MapPix
Environmental Enforcement Officer, DuPage County
Project Administrator, Family Housing Development Corporation
Habitat Restoration Project Manager, Kane County Forest Preserve District
Natural Resource Manager, Lake County Forest Preserve District
Director, National Crime Prevention Council, McGruff National Program
Research Associate, Metro Chicago Information Center
Senior Project Manager, Ogden Environmental And Energy Services
Associate Greenways Director, Openlands Project
Planning Technician, Thompson Dyke & Associates
Vice President, Management Services, WMX Technologies, Env. Services
Sales Manager, Jim Wright Tennis/Soccer USA
Research Mgr./Attorney, IREU
Real Estate Broker
Naturalist I
Assistant Planner & GIS Operator, Northeastern Illinois Planning Commission
Dir. of Community Development
Recycling Site Manager, McHenry County Defenders
Program Specialist, USDA Food & Consumer Service
IDAPP Financial Counselor
Environmental Consultant
Self-Employed Free-Lance Writer
Chicago Teacher
Taxonomy Technician, Chicago Botanic Garden
Senior Communications Analyst
Former Budget Analyst at the U. of C.
Earth Science Instructor, Riverside-Brookfield H.S.
Instructor of Geography, Northeastern Illinois University
Environmental Protection Agency Specialist, USEPA
Teacher, Chicago Board of Ed - Goethe School
Relator, Century 21
Associate, A.T. Kearney, Inc.
Teacher, Gage Park High School
Teacher of Geography, Von Steuben High School
Verification Technician, Field Museum
Administrative Asst., Poersch Metal Mfg. Co.
Realtor, Residential Salesperson
Bioreserve Stewardship Director, The Nature Conservancy
VP Management Services, Waste Management Inc.
Supt. of Conservation, Forest Preserve District of Cook County
Public Relations/Sales
Laboratory Manager, Dames & Moore
Assistant Operations Coordinator
Registered Sanitarian
Environmental Planner
Research Geographer, Rand McNally
Illinois Film Office
Secretary, Dept. of Economics, G&ES
Social Scientist, USDA Forest Service - NCFES
Project Director, Fluor Daniel
Electrical Construction
Senior Airport Properties Representative, O'Hare International Airport 

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