The event allowed the 30 students to apply their classroom learning to real-world problems, a major goal of the popular degree program housed in the School of Public Policy. For instance, one group was tasked with brainstorming how to develop a validation study to verify the benefits of statewide adoption of household composting technology. Another group worked on ways to help a company reduce what are called “Scope 3,” or indirect, greenhouse gas emissions.

“I left the night feeling more confident in the direction I want to pursue my sustainability career,” said MSEEM student Meyer Willson. “The variety of organizations in attendance demonstrated how important sustainability is becoming across industries, and their presentations gave us an idea of what it would be like to work in this space after graduation.”

Interested in a sustainability degree? Apply to the MSEEM program by Feb. 15

This is the second iteration of the problem-solving session, which included companies and organizations, such as Pela.Earth, Southface, Guidehouse, Kimley Horn, and Magna International.

“It feels good being able to take the knowledge we’re learning from our classes at Tech and use it to help problem solve issues companies actually face,” said Spencer Clifford, who also is pursuing the MSEEM degree.

MSEEM is a flexible multidisciplinary program with courses taught in schools across the Georgia Tech campus, including the School of Public Policy, the School of Economics, the College of Engineering, the Scheller College of Business, and the School of City and Regional planning.

The curriculum allows students to develop individualized courses of study to supplement their current strengths, giving them the skills necessary to achieve career goals. The program prepares students to work in a variety of fields, including government, non-profits, and the private sector.

For more information about the MSEEM program, visit the program website.

MSEEM student Jared Isaacs contributed to this story.