Guest Lecture at Columbia University
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Guest Lecture at Columbia University
Ezgi Karayel shared her professional journey, insights, and advice with Columbia University Sustainability Management students, offering an inspiring roadmap for emerging environmental professionals.
Educational Background and Career Path
With a degree in environmental engineering and a family of engineers, Ezgi always gravitated toward engineering, but an internship in brownfield redevelopment during her senior year sparked a passion for environmental cleanup and sustainable development. She emphasized the transformative role of internships in discovering career paths.
After working at a small, fast-paced firm where she developed her expertise in New York regulations and built client relationships, Ezgi founded Vektor Consultants in 2017, starting with one project and leveraging her network to grow her business.
Challenges and Leadership Development
Facing the challenge of a lack of female mentors, she actively sought guidance through industry organizations, networking events, and professional training. These experiences helped her hone leadership skills and build a successful business.
Advice for Aspiring Environmental Leaders
Work Ethic: Be dependable, prepared, and hard-working. Reliability and professionalism are essential traits for advancing in small firms and leadership roles.
Internships: Use internships as steppingstones to discover opportunities and gain real-world experience.
Networking: Attend industry events and join organizations such as the NYC Brownfield Partnership, Brownfield Coalition of the Northeast, and the Society of Women Environmental Professionals. Many of these offer free memberships for students.
Emerging Trends in Environmental Careers
Ezgi identified renewables as a key growth area due to federal infrastructure investments and the fight against climate change. She also highlighted the enduring importance of brownfield redevelopment, driven by tax incentives and support for sustainable urban development.
Building Entrepreneurial Environmentalism
Ezgi’s approach blends technical expertise in remediation and environmental health with entrepreneurial skills to manage complex brownfield projects, such as transforming contaminated sites into affordable housing and economic opportunities.
Women in the Environmental Field
She acknowledged challenges in the male-dominated industry, from fieldwork as a young professional to overcoming biases later in her career. Building strong professional relationships and demonstrating competence are critical to success.
Staying Informed
Ezgi recommended staying up to date through LinkedIn, environmental newsletters, and organizations like WE ACT for Environmental Justice, which also offer networking opportunities.
Early Career Preparation
Young professionals can stand out by obtaining certifications such as OSHA and EIT and actively engaging with industry professionals to build connections that lead to leadership opportunities.
Ezgi’s lecture underscored the value of perseverance, networking, and continuous learning in shaping a meaningful and impactful career in environmental sustainability.
