Alumni Profiles

Curious about what your fellow alumni are up to? Wondering where a degree in environmental studies can take you? Read a few of our alumni profiles.

Vicki Tripoli
BA 1994
Ph.D. 2000

Thesis Title: An Overview of Indoor Radon Problems Including Some Recommended Solutions

Dissertation Title: The Relationship Between PCBs, Thyroid Hormone and ADHD

Vicki's Ph.D. research examines a possible relationship between environmental contaminants and a common childhood disorder known as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

Vikki TripoliAs an administrative assistant, Vicki helped create the Environmental Studies Program at UNLV. She then became its first student, a member of one of the first graduating classes, and the first person to complete a Ph.D. in environmental science from UNLV. Prior to joining the Environmental Studies Program, Vicki was an oncology nurse. She began to recognize she was working at the wrong end of a systemic problem (treatment of illnesses caused by environmental contaminants). Her quest to begin having an influence on the solution (prevention of illness from environmental contaminants) is already achieving success. Her Ph.D. research is being used by EPA as the basis for establishing allowable limits of human exposure to environmental contaminants.

After completing her graduate program, Vicki worked as an environmental scientist for Nevada Power Company for a number of years where she managed biological monitoring and set policy for magnetic field exposure. During this time she successfully negotiated an agreement between the company and the Nevada Department of Wildlife with the US Fish & Wildlife Service to help recover endangered Virgin River chub using power plant raw water ponds. When the chub population in the Muddy River in Moapa is listed, this endeavor will become the first Safe Harbor Agreement in Nevada.

Vicki has recently moved to southern Oregon and is currently working with Headwaters, a local environmental organization researching the impact of logging on salmon and helping to develop an annual ecological report card for the community.

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Lantis I. Osemwengie
Ph.D. 2002

Dissertation Title: Levels of Synthetic Musk in Municipal Wastewater for Potential Estimation of Biota Exposure in Receiving Waters.

Since I graduated from UNLV, I have been busy conducting research on mostly surface water and biosolids for my employer, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). My job as a Research Chemist requires me to orally present my findings in national conferences around the country. Thanks to those UNLV Faculties for the numerous drills on oral presentation during graduate school. The skill I acquired has served me so greatly in performing my current task. I have published some of my work in peer review scientific journals. Some of these materials can easily be obtained from the following link. http://www.epa.gov/nerlesd1/bios/osemwengie.htm.

My interest is in the development of alternative methods for collection of environmental samples, extractions, cleanup techniques, and identification of previously unknown contaminants in various environmental compartments. These include pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and polychlorinated terphenyls (PCTs).

Lantis Osemwengie My pursuit of environmental pollutants and their degradation products propelled me into the Environmental Research Facility of the University of Nevada, Reno, under the EPA's long term training program. Photo shows a small marine engine used for generating polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, and subsequently subjected to photolytic degradation. Measurements of all resulting products are carried out with gas chromatography and mass selective detector.

In 2003, I was elected councilor by members of America Chemical Society, Southern Nevada Local Section. I represent the local section in all ACS' national activities.

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Steven Ross
BA 1999

Thesis Title: Off-Site Consequence Analysis for a Catastrophic Release of Liquified Chlorine Gas at the Alfred E. Merritt Water Treatment Facility at Lake Mead, Nevada

Steve RossI initially started my path into the environmental field while studying Fire Science at the Community College of Southern Nevada. I immediately became very interested in hazardous materials management and emergency response. After completing two Associate of Applied Science degrees in Urban and Wildland Fire Science in 1994, I enrolled in the Environmental Studies program.

In 1999, I graduated with a BA from the Environmental Studies program and was quickly hired full time with the Las Vegas Valley Water District. I currently serve as an Environmental Health and Safety Analyst where I provide program management in matters of hazardous materials, hazardous waste, environmental programs and procedures, coordinate code and regulatory compliance, and conduct compliance inspections and audits. I initially started at the District as an intern where I quickly gained experience in improving hazardous materials compliance and was instrumental in implementing a variety of environmental health and safety programs.

I also strive to continue my education and training, where in 2003 I obtained certification with the Institute for Hazardous Materials Management as a Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM) and with the State of Nevada as a Certified Environmental Manager (CEM). Recently I obtained certification with the National Fire Protection Association as a Certified Fire Protection Specialist (CFPS).

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Anthony J. Miller
BS 2003

Thesis Title: Qualitative Measurements of Occupant Comfort in Five U.S. Schools

Anthony Miller joined the UNLV Department of Environmental Studies Program in Jan. 2000 as a transfer student from Montana State University. Through the internship program that is in cooperation with the Environmental Studies Department, Anthony worked as an intern for Southwest Gas Corporation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Anthony Miller "When I toured the UNLV campus for the first time I saw that the EPA was located on campus and then learned that there was an Environmental Studies Program. That's when I got excited about the possibilities of an environmental degree and career for myself. With the diverse course selection paired with the internship program, the Environmental Studies Program gave me the education and experience I needed for opportunities in the environmental field."

Anthony is currently working full-time as a Natural Resource Technician for the Colorado River Commission of Nevada while pursuing his Master of Science degree in Water Resources Management at UNLV.

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Christine Herndon
M.S. 2004

Thesis Title: Vegetation Characteristics Associated with Small Mammal Populations in the Las Vegas Wash

Christine Herdon and Shawn GerstenbergerI completed my undergraduate degree at Elmhurst College, Elmhurst, Illinois. I earned a double major in Environmental Management and Geography with a minor in Biology.

Starting my senior year of college, I began to look for graduate programs. The University of Nevada Las Vegas was the first graduate program I visited. Turns out, Dr. Shawn Gerstenberger, whom I met at UNLV, presented the best program and opportunities out of all the schools I visited.

I was offered a summer position at the Environmental Protection Agency, Landscape Ecology Branch in Las Vegas. Shortly after, I was informed I had a graduate assistantship in the Environmental Science program at UNLV. Writing my thesis was an extremely trying task; however, it never would have been possible without the support of all the wonderful students and professors I met at UNLV.

Christine HerdonI began applying for jobs as my graduate career was coming to a close. After my first interview, I was offered a position with Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), as an Environmental Scientist in their Las Vegas office. As an Environmental Scientist in the consulting field, my roles and responsibilities change frequently, but that is what most attracted me to the position. We look at new types of projects on a regular basis, which has also allowed me to perform some marketing and networking activities in order to grow our business.

This brings me to the advice I would offer all students: networking and interning with different companies while being a student proves more valuable than you may ever realize. I am working with potential clients now that I once had interacted with during graduate school for another project, meeting, or convention. Establishing and maintaining relationships is perhaps one of the most important traits a professional can display, as those relationships will ultimately determine your success.

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Andrea N. Golli
M.S. 2004

Thesis Title: The Effects of Environmentally Relevant Doses of Ammonium Perchlorate on Rana pipiens Metamorphosis and Development

I obtained my BS degree in Environmental, Safety and Occupational Health Management from the University of Findlay (Ohio) and moved to Las Vegas to start my Master's degree. During my graduate education I was a part-time instructor for the Department of Environmental Studies and interned at the Las Vegas Valley Water District Department of Environmental Compliance. Following graduation in May 2004, I moved to the Tampa Bay area of Florida was ready to face the next challenge in my life, job searching. This proved at times to be more frustrating than thesis writing as I was in a new town and left any contacts I gained in Nevada. After some work, persistence and a little patience I landed a job as a Staff Scientist with ASC geosciences in Lakeland, Florida. ASC geosciences is a geotechnical engineering consulting firm with a small geoenvironmental department. I perform Phase I Environmental Site Assessments (ESA), which includes site reconnaissance, regulatory records review, interviews with local agencies and clients as well as report writing. Besides performing Phase I ESAs I oversee the installation of ground water monitor wells and sample soil and groundwater in order to delineate contamination plumes. Your academic education will never teach you everything in the environmental field because it is so vast, but you need to walk away with the ability to know how to find the information you will need for your career. The best advice I can give students is to be involved in your education and take any and all opportunities that come your way. The best thing to prepare you for your career are internships, seek them out and stick with it...even if you don't get paid because it will be worth it in the long run.

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Adrienne Cardwell
BA 2002

Thesis Title: Research Protocol for the Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops truncatus): Mirage Click Collection Study

Adrienne Cardwell Dolphin KissingAt the Mirage Dolphin Habitat there is a unique group of mammals interacting together. As a dolphin care specialist it's my opportunity to be a teacher and a friend to eight Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). No one can argue about how much of my heart is involved in my job. With goals like education and research the Mirage Dolphin Habitat has set the standards for the marine mammal field. I was driven to become apart of this team through the internship program that is in cooperation with the Environmental Studies Program at UNLV. The internship was unlike any other opportunity in the animal care field. Dan Blasko (Curator) and the staff teaches the intern the skills needed in quality care in maintaining a health habitat, the understanding of behavior modification, animal husbandry and educator to the patrons visiting. It's exciting to be a part of a network which leads the way for others, plus the experiences gained at the Mirage is state of the art and gives you the knowledge needed to go anywhere within the marine mammal field. The internship was challenging but with the desire of my dreams it became reality, I was offered the position as dolphin care specialist. I owe a lot to the Environmental Studies Department and the animal care staff at the Mirage.

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Darlene Cartier
BA 1997

Thesis Title: Recycling at Work: Waste Reduction and Recycling in the Las Vegas Hospitality Industry

Darlene Cartier

Following graduation, Darlene worked as a water efficiency intern for the Las Vegas Valley Water District, the Wetlands Coordinator for the Environmental Studies Department's Boulder City Wetlands Project, and is now working full-time for the Southern Nevada Water Authority while pursuing her law degree at UNLV.

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R. Denie Rasmussen
BA 1998

Thesis Title: An Energy Directory, A Guide to Energy-Efficient Products and Services in Las Vegas, Nevada

R. Denie Rasmussen, CEM
Environmental Scientist II
Nevada Power Company, Las Vegas
(702) 367-5406 office
(702) 249-1851 cellular
(702) 227-2051 facsimile

R. Denie Rasmussen I was raised to respect our natural environment. My father taught me to not be wasteful, "to take no more than what you need" from nature, while my mother taught me to be caring, "to leave a place better than the way you found it." Their love and teachings combined with generational influences of the 1970s seem to have molded my love of anything environmental.

I do not recall my first attempts at college in the 1980s, the availability of environmentally specific courses of study or degree programs. Only traditional science courses like geology, biology, chemistry, etc., were being offered. Eventually, I completed an Associate of Arts degree with Honors through Community College of Southern Nevada.

I returned to UNLV as a nontraditional student. The instant I saw the availability of an Environmental Studies degree, I knew that was what I wanted. My course work in Environmental Studies began in fall semester 1994.

At the end of fall semester of my senior year, fellow students made me aware of an entry-level environmental position available with the local electric utility company. Ugh, I thought then ... arch enemy #1! Although I had not completed my last semester of school and I didn't know if I was going to finish my thesis on time, people in the Environmental Studies Department encouraged me to apply for the job. With the help of a semester-long course designed to ease the transition from school to the professional world, I created a resume and cover letter. To my great surprise, I received a call for an interview. I was grateful that people in the department helped me practice interviewing. Although the interview was intimidating and I felt somewhat unprepared for the job, three weeks later I was hired as an environmental analyst, an entry-level position requiring a bachelor's degree. That May, I graduated from UNLV's Environmental Studies program.

Today, I am an environmental scientist II for the Environmental Services Department of Nevada Power Company and a certified environmental manager by the State of Nevada's Division of Environmental Protection. My primary responsibility is hazardous and regulated waste management for all of the electric utility's generation plants, electrical transmission and distribution facilities, automotive fleet service facilities, and administrative office locations. I hope my story offers hope to current students entering the job market.

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Glenna Lee
BA 1995, MS 2000

Undergrad Thesis: Soil Chemistry and Nutrition of Loblolly/ Shortleaf Pine in Southeastern United States

Masters Thesis: Communicating the Risks and Hazards of Methylmercury to the Ojibwe Population

Following graduation in 1995, Glenna worked for EPA on the Navajo Reservation for two years before returning to UNLV for a Masters degree. She completed the degree in May, 2000 and is now the Environmental Program Manager position within the Pesticide program.

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Heather Gallo
BA 1996

Thesis Title: Preserving Our Water Resources: A Guide for Southern Nevada Residents

"I think writing all those papers and giving all those oral presentations for my Environmental Studies Program classes were very instrumental in providing me with the written and oral communication skills required for me to be successful in my position."

Heather, now District Manager for the Conservation District of Southern Nevada, is responsible for planning, coordinating, and administering environmental education and information programs in Southern Nevada. She directs a staff dedicated to educating the public about environmental issues, needs, and requirements associated with living sustainably in a desert environment.

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Kelly Shook
BA 1998

Thesis Title: Effects of Recreational Use on the Virgin Spinedace (Lepidomeda mollispinis mollispinis) in the North Fork of the Virgin River within Zion National Park, Utah

To collect information for her undergraduate thesis, Kelly spent a summer working with biology graduate student Mark Sappington in Zion National Park.

Now an Environmental Scientist with PBS&J Consultants in Las Vegas, Kelly is working on many environmental problems in southern Nevada. Her major assignment this year is an Environmental Assessment of the proposed Paiute Power Plant near the Moapa River. A major issue for that Assessment is the probable effects of groundwater withdrawal on native fishes in the Moapa River.

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Elizabeth D. Bickmore (Hamilton)
BA 1998

Thesis Title: The Endangered Razorback Sucker and The Boulder City Wetlands Park; An Educator's Guide

"I believe strongly that the education I received from the UNLV Environmental Studies Department helped prepare me for the fast paced challenges I face everyday as an environmental biologist. Working to restore the Las Vegas Wash is not just my job it's my passion."

Liz, an Environmental Biologist with the Las Vegas Wash Project Team of the Southern Nevada Water Authority, working to help Southern Nevada recover ecosystem services that can be provided to the community by the wash - services such as improved water quality, recreation, public education, wildlife habitat, drainage of storm and sewage water, natural cycling of matter, etc.

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Maria Kaseko
BA 1996

Thesis Title: Water Conservation: Its Role in Clark County's Growth

Maria's evaluation of the connection between water and growth in Clark County along with her internship in the Clark County Comprehensive Planning Department, led to the offer of a full-time job with that group.

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Richard Little
BA 1999

Thesis Title: Systemic Environmental Analysis of the Legal Mechanisms for Controlling Air Pollution in the Las Vegas Valley

Rich Little Rich is now an Environmental Education Intern on the Las Vegas Wash Project Team of the Southern Nevada Water Authority. He is explaining to elementary school children the wildlife habitats of Las Vegas Wash.










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Sonya Wilson
BA 1995

Thesis Title: Trail Development at the Whitney Mesa Nature Preserve: Americans With Disabilities Act-Guidelines and Interpretations

Using planning skills developed while working on her thesis, and GIS skills learned as an intern with BLM, Sonya began working with the Clark County Comprehensive Planning Department and has recently moved to the McCarran Airport planning department where she is heavily involved with planning our new regional airport.

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Tara Pike
BA 1994

Thesis Title: An Improved Recycling Program for the University of Nevada, Las Vegas


Tara, now UNLV's Rebel Recycling Program Coordinator, runs a dynamic, creative program that helps UNLV reduce it's impact on the Earth while saving money. Here she explains the benefits of recycling to kids visiting the UNLV campus on Earth Day 1997.

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Richard Neilsen
BA 1994

Thesis Title: The Economics of Free Parking: Transportation Policy at UNLV

Richard Neilsen "Pressing environmental issues (air quality, water quality, nuclear waste, wetland restoration) at the forefront of daily news in the rapidly growing southern Nevada area demonstrate a continuing need for graduates from the UNLV Environmental Studies Program capable of influencing the development of environmental policy and dealing creatively with regulatory issues in ways that will help build a sustainable community."

Rick Nielsen, a local environmentalist, independent consultant, and former executive director of the non-profit environmental organization, Citizen Alert, helps establish environmental policy for the Nevada Test Site as a member of the Citizens Advisory Board.

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Billye J. Breckenridge
BA 1998

Thesis Title: An Overview of the Perchlorate Contamination of Southern Nevada's Water

Billye works as an Environmental Scientist for PBS&J consultants in Las Vegas on a variety of environmental issues in Southern Nevada.

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Lance Salisbury
BA 1998

Thesis Title: Factors Affecting Razorback Sucker Growth in Lake Mojave Backwaters

Lance began as an undergraduate volunteer and later part-time employee for the Environmental Studies Department's Boulder City Wetland Project. He then was selected as an environmental intern for the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation where he worked on a project that became his thesis. He is now working for the Bureau with their aquatic biology section where he spends much of his time on projects intended to help recovery efforts for the endangered Razorback Sucker.

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Mark S. Schaffer
BS 1998

Thesis Title: The Overlooked Option: An Illustration of Passive Energy Saving Features Using the Bigelow Physics Building

Mark, database manager for UNLV Facilities And Maintenance, uses his computer and management skills to help manage the massive amount of information required to keep University facilities functioning smoothly. His continuing interest in energy efficiency sometimes almost inadvertently sneaks into the way data are managed. The kinds of ideas developed in his undergraduate thesis therefore continue to help UNLV discover ways of becoming more energy efficient.

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Robert Klein
BA 1998

Thesis Title: Soil Stabilization for Southern Nevada

While working as an environmental intern for the Air Quality Group in the Clark County Comprehensive Planning Department as an undergraduate, Robert investigated a variety of ways to reduce airborne dust. His work led not only to his undergraduate thesis, but to a full-time job with that organization.

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Scott Gregory
BA 1994

Thesis Title: Human Induced Changes to Fish Populations in the Virgin River

Scott's undergraduate thesis was submitted to and published in the Proceedings of the American Water Resources Association. His GIS internship with BLM lead to full-time employment in Denver with a subcontractor assisting BLM with planning in the western states.

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