Alumni

The Bard Center for Environmental Policy provides a channel for communication between the alumni/ae and the Bard CEP, oversees alumni/ae events and reunions, maintains a database of alumni/ae contact information, and provides professional and networking support for past CEP and GSES graduate students.

Association of CEP Alumni
Bard Center for Environmental Policy
PO Box 5000
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12405-5000

Phone: (845) 758-7071
Fax : (845) 758-7636
Email: cep@bard.edu

Our Street Address:
30 Campus Road
Annandale-on-Hudson, NY 12504
Please update your information here.

BCEP ALUMNI/AE UPDATE FORM -- click here.
GSES ALUMNI/AE UPDATE FORM -- click here.

Give to the Alumni Internship Fund.

Click here and select the "Bard Center for Environmental Policy" for your area of giving. You can also make donations by phone or postal mail at the address and phone number above - make all checks payable to Bard College.

Past Alumni Events

The Bard Center for Environmental Policy hosted a reunion and  alumni/ae panel on Friday, May 21, 2010. The panel highlighted the exciting work CEP alumni are doing in the environmental policy field and provided insights on how they got a job post Bard. In attendance were first and second year master's students, faculty, alumni/ae, prospective students, and interested guests. The panel was moderated by Director Eban Goodstein and featured the following panelists:

Jackson Morris M.S. '07, Senior Policy Advisor, Pace Energy & Climate Center
Jennifer Peters M.S. '07, Deputy Director, Clean Water Network
Jon Griesser M.S. '04, Vice President & CEO, Spring Hill Solutions
Jessica Barry M.S. '03, Director of Business Development, Prism Solar Technologies
Kristen Wilson M.S. '07, Project Director, Healthy Kingston for Kids, Cornell Cooperative Extension Ulster County

Advice for recent grads from our alumni panelists:

  • Stay networked by attending community events and conferences of all sorts. A lot of dream jobs are not necessarily posted or advertised (neither of Jessica's were!)

  • Continue to develop your education. Employers will often pay for field-related education enhancement. As Regional Coordinator for NYSERDA, Jessica took courses on building science, energy auditing, and became a LEED accredited professional. At her current job (Prism Solar Technologies), she's taken courses on photovoltaic installation, global carbon trading, and renewable energy for the developing world.

  • Don't misjudge or overlook career opportunities within the business sector. Jon stressed that business is the most influential institution on the planet, but there is a lack of environmental literacy within many business organizations. The planet needs individuals with strong environmental backgrounds  and creative minds working from within businesses, sitting on boards, being trustees, and becoming stakeholders.

  • One of the most powerful and effective ways through which one can influence environmental change is through understanding how to bring funding and financing to environmental projects.  Moreover, the ability to measure, manage, and monitor financial resources needed for projects as well as the overall cost-effectiveness of projects is paramount.
  • Grant writing is an extremely useful skill for creating your dream job, but you don't need to be an expert to do it well. Just reading the instructions and goals of the funder carefully, then matching your project to their funding goals will get you far. Kristen found that her writing experience at CEP prepared her for grant writing.

  • If you want a local green job, you may need to convert an apparently "ungreen" job into a green job. Look for opportunities with local organizations and businesses that may not use the word "environment" but which may offer opportunities to incorporate your career goals.

  • Appreciate and cooperate with people who may be unexpected allies to your goals. Jennifer spoke about working with Capitol Hill staffers in her job at Clean Water Network; know people who can be a resource for you, but also see how you can be a resource to them.

  • According to Jackson, Green sector jobs are on the rise in New York State with the creation of new financing programs for energy efficiency including the Green Jobs / Green New York program. Administered by NYSERDA, GJ - GNY is a statewide program to promote energy efficiency and the installation of clean technologies to reduce energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The program will support sustainable community development and create opportunities for green jobs.
----------

To join the Bard College online alumni network, please visit annandaleonline.org.

Alumni Giving Form.pdf


Bard CEP BlogBard CEP Blog
 Your source for news, updates, and discussion.


FacebookBard CEP Facebook
 Connect with us on Facebook


LinkdinLinkdin
 Join the CEP alumni professional community.


FlickrFlickr.com
 View CEP photos here.


Bard CEP PortalBard CEP Portal
 Your source for jobs, internships, & events.