Sadie Rusby, a 2022 graduate of the Duke Environmental Leadership Master of Environmental Management (DEL-MEM) program, recently shared insights into why she pursued a DEL-MEM degree, how the experience has helped in her career, and also her advice for anyone considering the program. 

Rusby is an environmental engineer at Leidos. 

Why did you get a DEL-MEM degree? 

"I wanted to broaden my career opportunities and hoped an environmental management graduate degree from Duke would do that. I also wanted a graduate program that I could do while continuing to work full-time."

How did your DEL experience help you in your career? 

"The leadership concentration and close engagement with the DEL cohort helped to develop my leadership skills and increased my self-confidence at work. Also, gaining knowledge in global environmental topics helped me understand the world we live in better."

What would you tell a person considering enrolling in the program? 

"DO IT. Besides gaining the knowledge that would be expected from a graduate program at Duke, the DEL program offers opportunities to connect and network with others across Duke and beyond. Despite being a distance learning program, the connections forged within the DEL cohort have led to life-long friendships in my experience."