A new mentorship program at Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is guiding students with an interest in sustainability to cultivate careers that not only support their passion but also sustainably support their futures.
In the fall of 2024, a group of faculty and staff came together to start the Sustainable Career Mentorship Program. It connects WPI students with professionals working in green jobs and positions involving sustainability for one-on-one meetings at least twice per year. Organizers of the program say it addresses a request from students to learn more about the types of jobs that exist in these fields and how to find them, and a growing demand from employers.
According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report 2025, climate change adaptation is projected to be the third-largest contributor to global job growth by 2030, while climate change mitigation is expected to be the sixth largest contributor. Together, those fields are expected to generate an additional 8 million jobs during that time. A U.S. Department of Energy report finds that the number of jobs in clean energy grew by 4.2% in 2023. That rate was more than double the rate of job growth across the overall U.S. economy.
Elisabeth Stoddard, associate professor of teaching
“We’re preparing our students for a job market that’s actively looking for qualified people,” says Elisabeth "Lisa" Stoddard, associate professor of teaching in environmental and sustainability studies and in The Global School, who is an organizer of the mentorship program. “If we can take students’ passions and interests and we can prepare students through the mentorship program to be able to show up for these jobs qualified and excited, we’re enhancing their ability to get jobs that they’re passionate about and fill positions to address the climate crisis.”
Any student with an interest in sustainability can join the program. They need only to provide information about their goals for having a mentor in this space to help organizers identify a professional who is a good match for their interests. Stoddard said discussions with mentors can include everything from learning about what types of jobs fit a student’s interests and helping them identify internships or research opportunities to reviewing their resume and offering advice on how to shift into a sustainability career from an existing job.
A virtual meeting allows a mentor and mentee to connect. Photographed: JoLeisa Cramer, manager, field science operations – northeast, National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON); Jacob Friend ’25 Environmental & Sustainability Studies, Data Science
The wide range of students and professionals in the program represents the variety of opportunities available in green and sustainable careers. Seventeen WPI students, majoring in fields from robotics engineering and data science to civil, environmental, and architectural engineering and environmental and sustainability studies, are currently mentees. There are 25 mentors, including 14 who are WPI alumni. Mentors hold positions in areas that include corporate sustainability, energy, civil engineering, water quality and management, ecology, and climate adaptation. They hold jobs in private industry, nonprofits, and government; others own their own businesses.
Tara Checko ’25, a double major in environmental and sustainability studies and mechanical engineering, meets regularly with her mentor, Erin Spadavecchia ’05, who is manager of sustainable building solutions for ASSA ABLOY, a manufacturer of door opening solutions. When they meet, they catch up on life, discuss ways to advance sustainability initiatives in the workplace, and develop new connections with people who specialize in sustainability. They’re also making plans to attend the Design for Freedom Summit, a yearly gathering focused on responsible supply chain practices and the removal of forced labor in the building materials supply chain.
“I’ve enjoyed talking with Erin about how sustainability can manifest itself in large corporate settings,” says Checko. “I wanted to know more about how I can help to push these initiatives. Inherently, it can be harder to change minds and institute new policies in larger companies. I’ve met with Erin about ways to overcome this mentality for corporations.”
Tara Checko ’25 meets with her mentor Erin Spadavecchia ’05
For Spadavecchia, serving as a mentor represents an opportunity to actively give back to her alma mater and to share her experience to help others in their career journeys. “Mentorship accelerates knowledge share, instills confidence, creates a sense of belonging, and fosters upward mobility,” says Spadavecchia. “My hope is that Tara and all the mentees feel that a meaningful connection has been established—someone always in their corner, a safe place to reach out to for advice, a support system. All of these are essential for the ups and downs that eventually play out throughout a career and life.”
While the mentorship program is a new offering, it was created as a natural offshoot of WPI’s ongoing Careers for Sustainable and Just Communities Networking and Mentoring Events. The annual events, held since 2022, typically bring together more than 100 students and dozens of employers in sustainability fields for several hours of informal discussion, questions and answers, and networking.
Stoddard has been a driving force in the development of both the mentorship program and the annual event series. She has partnered with staff and faculty across the university, including Laureen Elgert, head of the Department of Integrative and Global Studies; Mimi Sheller, dean of The Global School; Robert Krueger, head of the Department of Social Science and Policy Studies; Paul Mathisen, director of sustainability and associate professor in the Department of Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering; Nicole Luiz, manager of energy and sustainability; Brittany Taylor, assistant director of career services in the Career Development Center; and Hannah Shick, operations coordinator in The Global School; as well as with members of the WPI Green Team, a student-led organization that promotes sustainability.
Pamela (Giasson) Lynch ’05, president of the alumni association, participates with students and other professionals at a Careers for Sustainable and Just Communities Networking Event
Alumni connections, through the Office of Lifetime Engagement and the WPI Alumni Association, have also been critical to supporting the growth of the ranks of mentors and networking event participants. Pamela (Giasson) Lynch ’05, president of the alumni association, participates in both programs. She says society needs to do more work around sustainable development and she believes future generations will benefit from opportunities like these provided at WPI. “The work to establish and grow the Sustainable Career Mentorship Program and the Careers for Sustainable and Just Communities Networking and Mentoring Events is critical,” she says. “Some of this work is planting seeds for trees under which our generation may never sit, but the shade they provide will shape a better future.”
Organizers of the mentorship program are collecting feedback from participants that can be used to improve the program moving forward. Stoddard says initial responses suggest the one-on-one meetings have expanded the mentees’ knowledge about available opportunities in sustainability and provided mentors with meaningful opportunities to help students make progress and connections.
Stoddard says her work to expand the program is a way she can support students and address the climate challenge. “We have a cohort of students developing expertise and knowledge and becoming ready for the job market to tackle these global problems that are at a crisis level,” she says. “It’s exciting and inspiring to see because we need that diverse set of knowledge, majors, minds, and insight to address that kind of problem.”
