Hello! My name is Caroline and I am a recent graduate of the Sustainability Studies Program at SBU, having received my Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Design, Policy and Planning with a Minor in Sustainability Studies. This spring, I have been spending my time working as I plan the next step of my education- graduate school! The Sustainability Studies program provided me with a strong background in my chosen field, urban planning, and, last fall, I applied to some of the top graduate programs in this area of study. I have currently been accepted to graduate programs at the University of Virginia, CUNY Hunter College, MIT and UNC- Chapel Hill. I do not doubt for a moment that my time with the Sustainability Studies Program provided me with an opportunity to effectively compete with other applicants to these very prestigious programs. After great consideration, I have chosen to join the Department of City and Regional Planning at UNC- Chapel, a program that is consistently ranked within the top-ten graduate planning programs in the nation.
During my time in the program, I had the opportunity to research topics including: environmental factors in the collapse of the Hohokam civilization in the southwest United States; effects of current and historical social stratification on land use patterns in Eastern Suffolk County; the “cult” of the American suburban lawn and its effects on the environment, salient social and land use issues in the Norfolk, VA metropolitan statistical area, waste management policies (with policy recommendations) in Suffolk County, Long Island and a thorough analysis of town-level comprehensive land use plans as a part of my “senior project” and with the assistance of a summer research grant from the Sustainability Studies Program.
If you are an individual that has an interest in pursuing an education in sustainability, I would not for a moment hesitate to recommend the Sustainability Studies Program at Stony Brook University. The relevancy of this field cannot be overstated and being on the front lines of the movement, towards greater sustainability for all, is an opportunity to not be missed!
