Olivia Spildooren, Environmental Science Major and Chinese Minor
Olivia is an Environmental Science major and Chinese language minor from Flemington, New Jersey. During her time at Dickinson she has served as a watershed coordinator at the Alliance for Aquatic Resource Monitoring, Peer Sustainability Educator at the Center for Sustainability Education, and as many roles on the Environmental Studies Department Majors Committee.
Her role as a watershed coordinator and Peer Sustainability Educator were instrumental in her discovery of a passion for community-based science, as well as science communication and education. Her time at these organizations gave her new perspectives on how to communicate environmental science topics to varying audiences. Working as a Peer Sustainability Educator, she learned how to target sustainability advocacy and general environmental education to a ºìÐÓÖ±²¥app community. At ALLARM, she learned how to advocate for general sustainability with a focus on water health and community building to a diverse audience: young, old, working, and retired. In addition, during summer breaks, Olivia has worked as a Nature Camp Counselor where she created lesson plans to teach children about the environment and sustainability. Also, this past summer, she worked as a green infrastructure/ forest restoration intern at a local nature preserve, where she maintained rain gardens, green roofs, and assisted with targeted forest restoration projects.
Olivia is looking forward to gaining a deeper understanding of sustainability from the unique experiences and perspectives of her Baird Sustainability Fellow peers.