Geography, Environment, and Sustainability

Drew Bigelow

Posted on June 19, 2023

M.S., Sustainability & Environment, UNCG, 2022

B.A., Anthropology, UNCG, 2020

B.A., Environmental Studies, UNCG, 2020

Why the Environment & Sustainability Program? Drew started her undergraduate career as an anthropology major, but added environmental studies as a second major because it allowed her to meet existing degree requirements while also encouraging exploration of connections between human society and the environment. Drew decided to continue her education at UNCG through the MSSE, because the program was online and “there is no other program out there that combines physical science and social science perspectives quite like this one does.”

Favorite aspects/courses? Drew says, “I enjoyed GES 602 and GES 605 for their content, delivery and instructional design. I found these courses to be both practical in use and highly relevant to my interests surrounding human geography, planning and sustainable development. I also really enjoyed GES 697–my  capstone course–because it was fully customizable and allowed me to focus my research on regional planning and resilience. At the culmination of this capstone course, I successfully delivered a 52 page research report and presentation titled Regional Resilience: Theory and Practice. It is thanks to the research that I conducted for this capstone course that I have been given the opportunity to pursue a career in geographic planning.

What’s next? Shortly after she graduated, Drew was hired as a Planner for the City of Reidsville. She says, “This position is directly relevant to the coursework and research I conducted while in the MSSE graduate program. In this position I  work with the community and development department to oversee a variety of issues related to zoning, land use and urban development.”