Sam Bringhurst
AED (Academy for Educational Development)
Where do you work? How long have you worked there? What do you do?
Serving as department liason for counterpart who is currently closing out USAID funded HIV/AIDS prevention project in Accra, Ghana.
Have you earned any additional degrees or certifications since graduating from BYU?
Yes, I recently finished a dual masters program in international affairs and natural resources & sustainable development from American University (Washington, DC) and the UN mandated Universidad para la Paz (Costa Rica) respectivly.
How is your profession related to Environmental Science?
Currently I am doing "contract" work still trying to get my profession off the ground. But I am interested in working for either the US State Department foreign service or USAID foreign service and using the knowledge gained both during undergrad and grad school.
What are the most rewarding aspects of managing your career?
Pursuing goals and reaching them. Establishing rewarding connections through work. Development of career and discovery of new talents and capacity in pursuing current career goals.
What changes do you see or expect in your profession in the near future?
Continued growth, interest, research in renewable energy initiatives, issues, concepts and challenges. Likewise, as baby boomers retire supposedly an increase in job availability within the Federal Government
There is a common misconception of lumping environmental science with environmental activism. How can our department best address this perception problem with our students and employers?
Show that the program is not only policy based but also provides a solid scientific background. Show that the students can choose either path and that can be effective and make a positive impact in both the policy realm and the more applied science realm in addressing environmental issues. Both are needed and frequently overlap. Highlight past graduates who are having successful application of their knowledge gained at BYU in both realms.
How can students best network within your profession in order to gain employment or internships? Does your company have internships that may be of interest to our students?
Contacting alumni, volunteering, studying up on organizations you might be interested in working for and even if they are not currently hiring calling and asking for an informational interview, finding a mentor...
Do you have any general advice for our students or our faculty with regard to your profession?
Learn how to job hunt. Read "What Color is Your Parachute," provide some kind of a crash course for those students about to graduate based on that book or other practical job hunting guides. Many graduates finish college and have alot of book knowledge but are lacking in street smarts in order to do things such as "salary negotiation" etc. Dont be afraid to dream and pursue your dreams.
Would you share a favorite memory of your BYU professors?
Early morning Basic Soil Science lab with Bruce Webb. Environmental Biology class with Dr. Terry and the fieldtrip class he taught. Although I hated it at the time- taking Soil Taxonomy and Soil Physics from Dr. Nelson. The comics that Dr. Jolley would use before each PowerPoint lecture to help lighten things up and help take the edge off. They and others were all fantastic professors.
