Anna Lowein is an undergraduate student at the University of Maryland, College Park. Currently a Junior, she is an Environmental Science and Policy major with a concentration in Environmental Geoscience and Restoration. What led Anna to join the Environmental Science and Policy department? As a child she was a National Geographic Kids subscriber which gave her environmental awareness early on, as well as the desire to help solve the wicked problem that is environmental issues. The other determining factor for her choosing the ENSP department was an online quiz offered by the department. This quiz asked questions about her personality, interests, background, etc. and she overwhelmingly identified as an ENSP major. She recommends this to anyone still figuring out which major they belong to. The reason she chose the smallest, and arguably the most prestigious, concentration- Environmental Geoscience and Restoration- is because between her Freshmen and Sophomore years she had an internship with the Anacostia Watershed Society. This internship sparked her interest in restoration, the physical sciences, and their conjunction with policy.
Some of her favorite courses so far include Geology 452: Watershed and Wetland Hydrology with Dr. Karen Prestegaard. She enjoyed this class because it was the first class she took where she was given the tools to approach a problem and solve it on her own; an application-based class that focused on wetlands which is her area of interest. Another course she enjoyed was ENSP340: Water: Science, Ethics, and Policy with Professor Joanna Goger. This class gave Anna further tools in various aspects of water resource protection and management.
Anna is currently in her second year on the LEAF Outreach team- an educational internship program in the University of Maryland’s Office of Sustainability. She is a co-chair and team lead on the program and her duties involve promoting and educating students and staff about sustainability in everyday life. She is a part of the Green Terp pilot program in the resident halls that encourages students to live sustainably, in particular using cold water to wash clothes and use less water in everyday activities. She is the co-chair for the Twitter account. And she is a role model for new LEAF members; she demonstrates how to conduct outreach and start-up new activities. She is also a Program Assistant for Resident Life through the Office of Student and Community Development. She helps with activities ranging from Fall welcome to movies to hump days. In addition to these leadership positions, Anna is a NOAA Hollings scholar and is traveling to Homer, Alaska next summer to study the effects of nutrients in streams on downstream productivity. Her dream job is working for NOAA to protect and preserve coasts.
