by Katie Sweeney, WALPA Board Member
On Friday September 27, a virtual room was filled with engaged students and aspiring freshwater career professionals, hoping to glean practical advice and learn about regional opportunities from the perspectives and experiences of early career professionals in limnology and related fields.
Organized by WALPA’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion committee, the Early Career Panel in Water Quality and Environmental Science featured five panelists: Diane Yeh, a 2023 graduate of the University of Washington and environmental aide working in King County’s freshwater macroinvertebrate monitoring program; Katie Sweeney, a 2021 MS graduate of Washington State University Vancouver and limnologist and environmental scientist in her third year at Herrera Environmental Consultants; Corinne Klohmann, a 2022 MSC graduate from the University of Washington fisheries science program and now an aquatic ecologist and water quality scientist for Four Peaks Environmental Sciences and Data Solutions; John Buster, a second-year PhD student at Washington State University Tri-Cities specializing in aquatic biogeochemistry and nutrient cycling, and researching watershed management and water quality monitoring; and Emily French, a student pursuing her MS in environmental engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle researching analysis and statistical modeling of long-term trends in water quality, while working part-time at the King County Environmental Field Sampling Unit.
With 50 registrants, the audience represented academic institutions across Washington (UW-Tacoma, UW-Seattle, Skagit Valley College, WSU-Vancouver, and Eastern Washington University) as well as recent graduates looking for opportunities in water quality and environmental sciences and professionals hoping to change careers.
Attendees had the chance to ask questions, gain practical advice, and learn firsthand about the diverse opportunities available today in water quality and environmental science. Led by facilitator Tim Clark, a WALPA Board Member and limnologist, panelists offered invaluable insights into career pathways and industry trends. Particular emphases, at the audience’s request, included how to network with current professionals, panelists’ pathways to their first opportunity in the field, what panelists considered the best/worst parts of their position, and what current positions and diverse pathways are available.
To top it off, those who stayed for the full session were entered into a prize drawing, sponsored by Herrera Environmental Consultants, for the chance to win food delivery gift cards, making the event informational, fun, and filling!
Free and accessible to all students and early career professionals, this panel proved to be a fantastic opportunity to connect, learn, and grow within the vibrant community of aquatic sciences.
This was the third careers panel hosted by WALPA, following last year’s in-person Early Career Panel at the 2023 annual conference, and the virtual ‘Careers in Freshwater’ panel in 2021 co-hosted by the Oregon Lakes Association. Stay tuned for upcoming events from WALPA’s DEI Committee in 2025!
