Behavior, Education, and Communication Career Services Information

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“I believe that we cannot create truly sustainable change without addressing the human component of sustainability. SNRE sets itself apart by offering  a program that looks specifically at Behavior, Education, and Communication, and I’ve found my coursework to be both interesting and valuable.” -Ryan Whisnant, SNRE BEC Student

"In addition to all the good knowledge and experience students have by virtue of graduating from SNRE, BEC students bring a perspective of the people side of the issues -- at the individual as well as group levels.  Affecting change requires an understanding of how people function -- what do they need to know, why are so many efforts to provide them with the information ineffective, how do you incorporate their perspective in trying to affect change..." -Rachel Kaplan, SNRE Faculty

Favorite BEC Job Search Websites

EnviroEducation.com 
Environmental Career Opportunities (Please go to eRecruiter to obtain the password for the job subscription)
Environmental Educators Link 
Environmental Jobs
eRecruiter 
govtjobs.com
Green Careers Journal (Please go to eRecruiter to obtain the password for the job subscription)
Schmeeckle Reserve
SNRE Job Posting Websites
State of Michigan Vacancy Posting Page
USA JOBS

Employers of SNRE Graduates and Interns*

Check out the Professional Network on eRecruiter for a listing of BEC students and alumni who have professional experience in the BEC field. 

Ann Arbor YMCA 
Ashoka
Children's Day School
Cuyahoga Valley National Park Association
Deep Portage Conservation Reserve
Detroit Conference, United Methodist Church
Environmental Concern Inc.
FrontRange Earth Force
Gathering Waters Conservancy 
Greenbelt Alliance 
Growing Hope
Massachusetts Riverways Program 
McKinsey
Michigan Groundwater Stewardship Program 
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory
National Wildlife Federation
Nature Kenya - The East Africa Natural History Society
Orange County Public School 
Piedmont Environmental Council
Tahoe-Baikal Institute
Tahoma School District
Tetra Tech, Inc 
The Parks and People Foundation
The World Women Want, LLC
Thornapple Grand Conservation District
University of Michigan
Upstate Forever
Urban Ecology Institute 
US Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Business Plan Initiative 
US Office of Management and Budget 
Walt Disney Company, Animal Kingdom
Western Michigan University, Science and Mathematics Program
White Mountain School
Wildlife Conservation Society
Wildlife Habitat Council, Great Lakes Regional Office

Job Titles and Employment Sector of SNRE Alumni*

Please note that some positions may require a PhD.

Non-Profit   

Youth Volunteer Corps Program Coordinator
Director of Admission & Communication
CEO
Environmental Educator     
Director, Outdoor & Retreat Ministries
Program Coordinator    
Wetland Educator
Executive Director    
Outreach and Policy Coordinator   
Campus Field Coordinator (global warming solutions outreach) 
Director, Great Lakes Regional Office
Pacific West Program Manager
Program Associate
Wastershed Project Director

Consulting and Industry

Public Outreach Specialist
Founder & CEO

Academic

Chair, Sustainability Studies
Graduate Research Assistant
Recycling Coordinator

Government

Program Administrator
AmeriCorps Groundwater Educator
Science Teacher
Executive Director

Click here for some sample BEC Career Opportunities

Other Employers of Interest

These are just a handful that have been suggested by faculty, students, or are registered employers on eRecruiter...many more are out there! Check out eRecruiter for a complete listing of Behavior, Education and Communication employers that are registered with SNRE.

Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF)
Colorado Youth Corps Association 
Disney's Animal Kingdom
Earthwatch Institute Education Fellowship Program (only for K-12 teachers)
Environmental Resources Center (ERC)   
Hidden Villa Environmental Education Program (HVEEP)
Kids For The Bay
Land's Sake
Michigan Alliance for Environmental & Outdoor Education
Montclair State University's School of Conservation 
National Environmental Education Foundation
New Hampshire Project Learning Tree
Place-Based Education Evaluation Collaborative
Project WILD
Sustain Dane
The Detroit Science Center 
The Environmental Magazine
United Nations Environment Program
Wildlife Clubs of Kenya
Zoo Atlanta's Conservation Education Initiative in China
This database consists of organizations in the Environmental Education field in Asian countries

 BEC Focused Master’s Projects

“People, Parks and Partnerships”
“This Masters project was inspired by research showing the benefits of nature on human behavior. Access to natural settings is difficult for inner-city residents and funding is limited, thus, the goal of this project was to provide specific, practical
recommendations for partnership opportunities between community-based organizations and the National Park Service to affordably provide access for urban residents to nearby wilderness areas.”
-Zach Fried, SNRE BEC Alumni

Current BEC Students and Master’s Projects

Interested in BEC Focused Internships? 

Go to the SNRE Internship Website to view BEC student internship reports.

eRecruiter BEC Highlights

  • Search for BEC related jobs/internships
  • Network with fellow BEC alumni
  • Find career events on campus
  • Search for Employers who hire BEC students
  • Apply for BEC jobs/internship on-line
  • View our Document Library, full of helpful career related resources

What Exactly is the Study of Behavior, Education and Communication (BEC)?

The Behavior, Education and Communication field of study serves as a focal point for the study of the socio-behavioral aspects of natural resource and environmental issues. It views the science of behavior through an environmental prism and examines the role of education and communication in advancing a sustainable society for the individuals involved.  

Why Should Employers Hire BEC Students?

Skills that BEC students can offer employers:

Negotiation, dispute resolution, knowledge of human behavior and psychology in relation to the environment, ability to plan and execute educational programming, outreach and communication of environmental issues,  and an ability to create buy-in for environmental policies and programs.

Some students have the opportunity to work in the Environmental Psychology Lab located on the University of Michigan Campus in the Dana Building.  

Examples of BEC Coursework:

The curriculum builds broad comprehension of the causes, dynamics and consequences of decisions and actions that impact natural resource and environmental values and concerns. Students will study human behavior in the context of the environment, both present and evolutionary, and learn to design educational, communication and motivational techniques for promoting environmental sustainability. 

Courses

Natural Resources Conflict Management
This course builds an understanding of the causes, dynamics and consequences of natural resource and environmental conflicts as well as the range of possible procedural interventions that can be used to manage these conflicts.
Negotiation Skills in Environmental Dispute Resolution
This course is a module that develops skills in bargaining and negotiation as they can be applied to the resolution of
environmental disputes. It will help a student prepare for and carry out a negotiation, become a more effective communicator, and understand the psychological dimensions inherent in negotiation processes.
Behavior & Environment
Environmental problems are people problems requiring an understanding of how people think, what they care about, and the conditions under which they behave. Human behavior makes the most sense when studied in the context of the environment. The course builds a model of human nature based upon research in the field of environmental psychology.
Psychology of Environmental Stewardship
One of the enduring challenges of crafting a sustainable society is to create one in which people will want to live. The issue here is how to reframe and then promote such a future so that people not only willingly accept it but actually seek it out.  To meet this challenge behavior change tools and strategies are developed - there is emphasis  on informational and motivational means of changing behavior.
Public Opinion and the Environment
This research seminar will examine trends in public opinion on the environment, influences on people’s concerns about the environment, and how such concerns affect personal behaviors and the political process.
Advanced Environmental Education
An advanced seminar with topics that include: assumptions and pitfalls implicit in different EE approaches, the challenge of reaching multicultural and urban audiences, the expanding scope of EE, EE in the international setting.
Cognitive Function
This course provides an integrated approach to perception, thought and emotion. In it we will examine such topics as problem solving, intuition, expertise, rationality and the maintenance of mental effectiveness. We will consider both theory and
application, using the constraints provided by psychology, evolution, neurophysiology, and human-environment relationships.

Students can also reach out to other schools and departments on campus to find faculty members interested in Behavior, Education and Communication. Faculty members in Health Behavior and Health Education in the School of Public Health, Psychology, and the Taubman College of Urban and Regional Planning offer courses and conduct research in Behavior, Education and Communication.  

Conferences of Interest

Conferences are great avenues for resource sharing, presenting papers/poster, networking, and meeting possible future employers!

Behavior, Energy and Climate Change Conference
Conference Alert (listing of upcoming environmental conferences)
Food System Economic Partnership (FSEP) Conference (check with FSEP for future conference opportunities)
Good Jobs, Green Jobs National Conference (search the internet for workforce, labor development, or other green job conferences) 
View the SNRE Conference Website
Many of the Professional Organizations listed below hold annual conferences, visit their websites for more information.  There are also many state and local chapters that hold conferences in which you may have interest.  The benefits are that the conferences are close to home and usually are less crowded than national conferences.

Professional Organizations to Join

Air & Waste Management Association
American Psychological Association (APA)
APA Division 34 
Association for Psychological Science (APS)
Environmental Design Research Association (EDRA)
International Association for Society and Natural Resources(IASNR) (2010 Symposium 6.6-10.2010)
Michigan Alliance for Environmental and Outdoor Education (MAEOE) 
National Association of Environmental Professionals
North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) (2010 Conference 10.7-10.2009)
Other state-associated EE organizations, depending on plans for geographical location of desired employment (e.g., in Wisconsin, The Wisconsin Association for Environmental Education
Society for Human Ecology (SHE) 
Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues (SPSSI)

Need a help finding a job?

Email snre.careers@umich.edu to request an appointment with a SNRE Career Services staff member.  

Lisa Yee-Litzenberg: Coordinator of Student Career Services
Room 1520 Dana Building
(734) 615-1633, yeeha@umich.edu

Need help finding an internship?

Email snre.careers@umich.edu to request an appointment with a SNRE Career Services staff member.  

Kim LeClair: Student Services Specialist and Internship Coordinator
Room 1520 Dana Building
(734) 764-1402, kleclair@umich.edu

*Data taken from 2006-2009 surveys of SNRE students/alumni and from our eRecruiter system