OKLAHOMA CITY– The University of Oklahoma
could soon award students a master's degree in environmental science
without requiring them to spend years on the campus.
 |
| Robert W. Nairn, Ph.D. |
Robert Nairn is a professor at the
university's School of Civil Engineering and Environmental Science. He
said there is a program in the works that would allow students to complete
their degrees online. That would be geared toward people who are already working
in the field, he said. "What we’re seeing is that in environmental
fields in general, the long-term job outlook is better than average,"
he said. "There are going to be jobs out there. What we do
often see, though, are employers looking for a certain level of
experience. The online program would allow the scientists to raise
their education level without sparing their time in the professional world",
Nairn said.
Job growth in environmental science is outpacing the
country's average growth, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Employment demand for environmental scientists and specialists is projected to
increase by 11 percent from 2014 to 2024. Over the same time period, employment
demand in general is expected to increase 7 per
cent.
"In Oklahoma", Nairn said," some of that growth can be
attributed to a less obvious natural resource.
Water is right now and is only going to be a
bigger and bigger issue in the state of Oklahoma," he said. "There are a lot of opportunities to be more efficient and more
effective. We all know how critical too little and too
much water might be."
The Oklahoma Legislature implemented the Water for 2060
Act in 2012. The ambitious plan would keep Oklahoma's
water consumption flat from 2012 to 2060 despite the state's
population growth projections. Three groups that use the most water are projected to
demand 20 percent more by 2060, if no conservation takes place.
Oklahoma's largest water users are municipalities, industrial users
and crop irrigators. The state's long-term water conservation plan
aims to save 98 billion gallons annually.
"The state's most visible natural resource
industry is also seeing some more demand for environmental services", said Jason
Martin, a managing member at Boomer Environmental in Oklahoma City. The firm
offers several services, but focuses on environmental cleanup. "Oklahoma's an oil and gas
state", he said. "The oil and gas companies are kind of
coming around to be more environmentally friendly." He said that demand is increasing for the services, and
that people might want to go back to school to get into the field, but having
to stop working might keep them from doing so.
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All rights reserved. Source: Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City, OK)
