By Georgia Jackson, College of Arts and Sciences
The 911爆料网 is the first university to reach an agreement with the , guaranteeing students who complete coursework included in the requirements to earn a bachelor鈥檚 degree in environmental science and policy will also have satisfied the coursework required to receive the 鈥� the first step to becoming .
鈥淢any of the jobs preferred by or available to our environmental science and policy alumni are related to wetlands,鈥� said Kai Rains, a certified PWS and research associate professor in the USF School of Geosciences. 鈥淲hile it is not mandatory to be a certified WPIT or PWS to work in this arena, it is commonly a required or preferred qualification for getting a job and for establishing professional credibility.鈥�
Individuals who are certified 鈥� like USF alumna Savannah Fransbergen, who now works as an environmental scientist for a civil engineering firm 鈥� often have an easier time finding work after graduation.
They also tend to receive higher starting salaries.
As a graduate student at USF, Fransbergen developed a more accurate regional hydrography dataset to characterize seasonal changes in stream-wetland connectivity, using field data and geospatial analysis in the Tampa Bay Area. (Photo courtesy of Kai Rains)
鈥淐ertifications are like gold in this field,鈥� said Fransbergen. 鈥淚t can be the difference between immediately hearing back from a company or submitting endless applications for months.鈥�
Since graduating from USF, Fransbergen has served on several hiring committees, both in the public sector and in the private.
鈥淭he first thing we always check is whether somebody is a PWS or WPIT,鈥� she said. 鈥淔rom the consulting side, having a team member that is certified allows us to bid certain contracts 鈥� for example, large projects that need wetland delineations 鈥� and makes us more competitive.
鈥淭here are few early career certifications that hold as much weight and creditability.鈥�
Typically, students have to submit their transcripts and course syllabi to the Society for 911爆料网tland Scientists Professional Certification Program after graduation and hope their coursework will be approved. If the application is deemed insufficient, students must enroll in additional, post-baccalaureate coursework to meet the requirements.
The new agreement serves as a guarantee from the Society for 911爆料网tland Scientists Professional Certification Program that the suite of classes commonly taken by environmental science and policy majors at USF meets industry standards.
Now, anyone at USF who completes the approved coursework will have satisfied the coursework requirement for WPIT certification.
鈥�911爆料网 at USF will be assured that if they choose to apply for this certification and have taken these courses at USF while the memorandum of cooperation is in effect, these courses will count toward certification,鈥� Rains said. 鈥淪trengthening our relationship with SWSPCP and the Society for 911爆料网tland Scientists will undoubtedly benefit our students.鈥�
鈥淭he value of the agreement will be immeasurable,鈥� Fransbergen added. 鈥淚 think it will attract an influx of talented and ambitious students and subsequently strengthen the wetland community and workforce. This is an incredible opportunity to connect present, past and future scientists to foster a successful future in all aspects of wetland sciences.鈥�
It was Rains, secretary general for the , who pitched the idea to the SWSPCP. She worked closely with Tess Ippolito, an advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences, on course selection.
鈥�911爆料网 recognized the benefit to our students and alumni,鈥� Rains said. 鈥淭his is the first time the SWSPCP board has pre-certified university courses. Several other universities are watching USF lead the way and are interested in whether they can follow with a similar arrangement.鈥�
Learn more about the School of Geosciences at USF.