Hannah Dennis
Environmental Science, 2017
My time at SCU has been the best! I had a great experience with the small class sizes and awesome professors. Many of my classes in the ESS department allowed me to get hands-on experience in the field. There are also so many things to be involved with outside the classroom. I’ve been a part of club sports throughout my entire time at SCU. I have also been fortunate to be working with Professor C.J. Gabbe on research that is centered on Urban Planning in the Bay Area. My research requires a lot of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) work, reaching out to city planners, and working through city codes. We want to know how zoning has changed in recent years in San Jose and the surrounding sites and if policies are promoting denser development, more walkable cities, etc.
My favorite part of ESS are the professors who really care about the students. They went out of their way to help us create meaningful connections with great opportunities. For example, my capstone group got to work with NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.) After graduation, I’m planning to spend the summer and early fall traveling in Europe; I’m looking into urban planning or environmental consulting jobs when I return from my travels.
Photo: Hannah interning for Environmental Volunteers, working with elementary school students to dissect owl pellets for bones.