Creating a Career in a Changing Climate 2026

Driven by a passion for sustainability in the built environment, Aparna works within JLL's Sustainable Operations team as an Energy and Sustainability Manager. Based in Washington DC, she supports clients by drawing on expertise across design, construction, optimization, and renovation. In this role, Aparna manages energy and waste programs, leads employee green teams, and serves as the face of sustainability and energy to her clients. Prior to joining JLL, Aparna worked as a project manager with Grunley Construction, contributing to the historic restoration of the Jefferson Memorial in Washington DC. This experience bridged technical precision with cultural preservation—a balance that continues to inform her approach today. Aparna holds a BS in Civil Engineering and BA in Plan II Honors from the University of Texas at Austin, along with an MS in Energy and Sustainability from Northwestern University. She is a Certified Energy Manager, LEED GA, TRUE Waste Advisor, and ActiveScore AP. Outside of work, Aparna enjoys mentoring aspiring energy professionals, hiking, traveling, and pottery—a newfound hobby. She is also co-host of the Green Collar Pod.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aparna-chandrashekar/

Aparna’s advice:

Every job can be a green one! This can take the form of personal sustainability of you being an employee/employer, or can stem from you having a conversation with colleagues to encourage something as seemingly small as office recycling.

Networking is at its core having a conversation and asking questions. Think back to how you’ve made friends over the years, and it has the same core – conversation and questions. Try to shake off the nerves that come with “networking” and view meeting folks in a professional sense as just having a conversation with someone who you want to get to know.

Whenever having a professional conversation (virtual, in-person), ask your conversation partner if there are any other people you should meet with. For example, if you’re having a 1x1 conversation with someone who works at X company that you’d love to work at, ask them if there are others you should meet to (a) widen your network within the group and (b) get a better understanding of what the culture/role entails. Daisy chaining like this is a great way to increase your network and get a warm introduction.
 

Joy Reeves is an award-winning science communicator, energy justice advocate, and climate cartoonist from Washington, D.C. She currently works as the Director of Policy and Strategic Development at the Rachel Carson Council, an environmental justice nonprofit focused on advocacy against the wood pellet industry, synthetic pesticides, and false climate solutions. In 2024, Joy received a Master’s degree in Environmental Management with a specialization in Environmental Economics and Policy from Duke University, where she also earned her Bachelor’s degree. During her time as a Planet Forward correspondent, she was named a 2024 Storyfest winner, leading her to publish a piece on marine iguanas in the Galápagos. Joy’s passion is in environmental storytelling, as she has received formal training in science communication as a Huang Fellow, founded the Environmental Comics Classroom, and authored the book Growing Up in the Grassroots: Finding Unity in Climate Activism Across Generations, published in 2020. Joy has represented youth and faith-based constituencies in COP28 in Dubai, where she lobbied European Parliament and OPEC. Joy was named a Udall Scholar in 2021 and hopes to continue her career in public service and nonprofit leadership. Her other professional interests include environmental conflict resolution, federal energy policy, and community-based environmental management.  

https://www.linkedin.com/in/joyreeves/

Joy’s advice:

Always be the person who takes initiative. In small teams, small organizations, or even group projects at school, the number one skill that will make you stand out is taking initiative when tasks are being delegated. Don’t be the person who sits back and waits to be handed an assignment reluctantly while the group sits in silence. If you have the time, capacity, or ideas, volunteer your passion toward the goal!

Before you graduate, learn (or dabble in) each of the following: 1 coding language, 1 project management software, 1 foreign language, 1 “research” experience/skill of any kind, 1 published piece of media or writing, 1 advocacy encounter with local or national government. These will give you kind of a “jack of all trades” repertoire in the NGO policy world, where you’ll often find yourself doing a million things at once and randomly calling upon old skillsets in interviews/projects.

Call yourself what you are! This is the best piece of advice I’ve ever received in my career. For example, when you’re putting together your resume, cover letter, or elevator pitch, it’s easy to fall into a trap of self-doubt and say, “But I’m not a cartoonist! I’m not syndicated with a national newspaper, so I can’t call myself one!” Do you draw comics? Call yourself a cartoonist. Do you work in a lab? Call yourself a scientist. Did your writing get published, or recognized in Storyfest? Call yourself a published or award-winning writer. The Impostor Syndrome isn’t worth it—trust me!

Vittoria is a chemist and sustainability professional with a strong background in green chemistry, education, and cross‑sector collaboration. She currently serves as a Roundtables Program Specialist at the American Chemical Society Green Chemistry Institute, where she supports engagement with the ACS GCI Industry Roundtables. In this role, she helps catalyze the implementation of green and sustainable chemistry and engineering initiatives across industry, develops practical tools, and shares green chemistry approaches with current and future decision‑makers worldwide.

Her professional foundation is rooted in education and applied science. She spent over two years on the teaching faculty at Eaglebrook School as an Earth Science educator, Innovation Lab Technician, and Sustainability Committee Director, leading projects that integrated sustainability, curriculum development, and applied research. She later relocated to Washington, DC to join The George Washington University’s Environmental and Green Chemistry program, where her capstone focused on recreating the EPA Safer Choice decision‑making framework using publicly available data and computational toxicology tools to address data gaps.

She holds an MS in Environmental and Green Chemistry from GWU and a BS in Chemistry from William & Mary, where she conducted undergraduate research on pesticide exposure and neurodegenerative disease. 

www.linkedin.com/in/vittoriavalentine

Vittoria’s advice:

My largest takeaway is the importance of science communication. You should be able to understand the foundational science driving an issue that you care about while managing to communicate the drivers, impacts, and potential solutions to anyone at any level. This skill is something that is only honed through practice, so take any opportunity you can to share about the issues you care about, learning how to adapt your approach depending on your audience.

Widen your perspective beyond the individual issues of concern that you are most passionate about. Use your expertise as a starting point, but systems thinking is important and will help you find solutions where you least expect them to be. Once you start doing this, it becomes much easier to find collaborators and allies in places where you don’t expect them.

Stay curious and open to non‑traditional career paths. Careers in green chemistry exist in education, industry, nonprofits, and government and many roles don’t follow a linear trajectory. An interest in policy, sustainability, or systems‑level thinking can open unexpected doors. Internships, professional networks, and practical experience are equally important for shaping a meaningful and impactful career.