Nature & Nurture | Giving News

Students Gain Added Skills, Edge in the Working World p.3

   “Teaching a module is a great way for alumni to give back,” Kirchof notes. “For instance, we’re working with several alumni now on a module on conservation financing. It’s a great way for alumni to stay connected to the school, to share expertise in a skill area that is valued in today’s marketplace, and for students to see how what they learn at Duke applies to the real world.”

‘Learn from practicing professionals’
Joel Dunn has participated in several modules while completing a joint master’s in conservation science and policy and in public policy at Duke’s Sanford Institute – he even organized modules on Conservation Achievement and Women in Conservation. He applied his training this summer as a legislative fellow in Sen. Joseph Lieberman’s office on Capitol Hill.

  Take the Exceptional Presentations and Communications module, for instance, which is taught by nationally respected presenter Tim Koegel. “In this age, it’s important for environmental scientists to be able to communicate their knowledge to policy makers and decision makers,” Dunn says. “For example, writing an effective summary of your work could mean the difference between getting a senator to read your paper on climate change and incorporate it into a speech, or skipping it and moving on to the next paper. If we’re going to make a difference, we need to express information in a way that everybody can understand. This module was a key step to learning this important skill.”

  For Elena Arensman, an MEM ’05 candidate in conservation science and policy, the modules have presented an opportunity to polish her Excel and PowerPoint skills, but she particularly valued a session on Sustainable Development and Corporate Responsibility.

   “Listening to acting professionals speak about their jobs reenergizes me and gives me a better perspective on what is happening in different sectors that I may enter. Those types of modules expand your opportunities to meet, network with, and learn from acting professionals, and pull your learning experience out of the classroom.”

   “Learning the specific skills is part of the benefit of the modules,” Maguire agrees, “but these sessions also give students valuable exposure to environmental professionals and give them a better picture of how things happen outside an academic setting.”

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