Student Spotlight- Saurabh Harohalli
My name is Saurabh Harohalli, and I am a first-year student in the EPM program. I grew up in Olathe, Kansas before going to college and then working for a few years in Houston, Texas. In my free time, I love to cook and spend time outdoors.
What has been your favorite class so far?
My favorite class so far has been ENV 200A which covers how climate change is manifesting in various biomes and some best practices to manage that. My undergraduate background is in chemical engineering, so taking a class like this, where I could really learn more about climate change and ecosystems, was an informative experience. I also enjoyed being able to discuss these concepts with my classmates to hear more perspectives.
Do you participate in any student groups, if so which ones?
I am currently involved in the EPM Social Committee as the Outdoor Event Coordinator where I help organize group hikes. I really enjoy this given that I spend almost every weekend hiking somewhere!
What are your career goals?
My career goals focus on connecting science, policy, and action. My areas of interest include policy implementation, energy, transportation, and waste management. I find that working in local government is the perfect nexus of all these. I am really interested in local level climate adaptation and mitigation where local governments assess how to build more resilient communities in a sustainable way. I find it extremely rewarding and interesting to work at a local level, closely with communities to enact change.
Do you have any advice for prospective students?
One thing that helped me as a prospective student was to introspect and really understand what I wanted out of my graduate school experience. I would highly encourage others to do the same. Whether it's a career change, building a new skill set, or simply moving to a new place, knowing your goals for graduate school is extremely important. In that reflection, don't forget to think about how you would spend your free time. I really enjoy being in Northern California for all the outdoor adventures that are in my backyard, and taking advantage of those helps me relax on the weekends. Knowing these things also made the enormous decision of selecting which programs to apply to and attend more manageable and structured for me.
Please share a fun fact about yourself!
I love to travel, and I once spent 6 weeks travelling in India and Southeast Asia with a few friends and just a backpack each!