Panel will focus on careers for the public good

Symposium is co-sponsored by Geography and Anthropology and features visiting alumni

The Departments of Anthropology and Geography will co-host a symposium on “Careers Dedicated to Public Good” on Wednesday, November 11, from noon to 4 p.m. in the Dr. Paul and Natalie Strasser Legacy Room, 220 Eggers Hall.

The event, intended chiefly for undergraduate students, will host alumni from both of the hosting departments. They will share how their training at Maxwell prepared them for a career in the public sector.

This is the second annual career panel hosted by Anthropology and Geography. “Our departments are very proud of our alumni who go on to rewarding careers, many outside of the academy, in public health, public advocacy, and public outreach and education,” said faculty organizers Jamie Winders (geography), Jane Read (geography), and John Burdick (anthropology) in a joint statement. “This event will highlight how Anthropology and Geography have provided our alumni important tools of analysis and perspective that they now apply in making progress in their careers.”

The symposium consists of three one-hour sessions, each one focusing on a different area of public service. The first panel (12:30-1:30 p.m.) will focus on environmental policy and advocacy work. Speakers include Paul Ronan, geography alumnus and co-founder and project director of the Resolve LRA Crisis Initiative in Washington, D.C.; and Sarah Wraight, anthropology alumna and community educator for the Onondaga Environmental Institute.

The second panel, (1:45-2:45 p.m.), will feature two alumni who are pursuing careers in public health policy and advocacy: Heather Dennehy, anthropology alumna and public health analyst at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Amory Hillengas, geography alumna and GIS analyst for the City of Philadelphia’s Department of Public Health.

The final panel (3-4 p.m.), will focus on careers in public outreach and education. The featured alumni for this session will be Andrew Frasier, geography alumnus and junior planner at the Syracuse Metropolitan Transportation Council; and Amanda Quinn, anthropology alumna and museum specialist at the Center for Integrated Research on the Environment, Naval History & Heritage Command, National Museum of Health and Medicine in Montana.

This symposium is free and open to all Maxwell students. Snacks will be served throughout. For more information, please contact Margie Johnson at mmjohnso@maxwell.syr.edu. 11/09/15