Envision Inspired: Students and Young Professionals

The Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) credential can bring a sustainability career into clearer focus. 

Many new ENV SPs are students and young professionals looking to contribute to sustainable infrastructure outcomes. Through Envision, they gain a framework to assess projects through a sustainability lens, and tools to advocate for sustainable decision-making in infrastructure management.  

Early exposure in university has given many young people an opportunity to strengthen their CV with the sustainability credential. As a result, they arrive in the job market with better-defined goals and greater career confidence. A group of ENV SP students and young professionals recently shared their experiences with Envision, and here is some of what they had to say. 

Getting Started with Infrastructure 

Jean Paul Liban, a Graduate Engineer at Dewberry, says he has always been passionate about nature and urban areas. “Growing up in Los Angeles, I was able to experience both, even within city limits, with access to the beach and hiking trails,” says Liban. “Now that I live in New York City, I am able to see how a historical hyper-urban environment can lead the way to a sustainable future.” 

For Liban, learning and applying Envision have been influential in forging a career path, making connections, and gaining experience. The project he’s most proud of is the Times Square Shuttle Project, which was recently awarded an Envision Verified Award. “It not only was the first Envision project for the New York City MTA, but it was also the first completed Envision project of my young career.” 

Liban earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Purdue University’s Environmental and Ecological Engineering Program. He has been an ENV SP since 2020, when he was still an undergraduate student. The ISI internship he completed in the same year was a front-row seat on the Envision framework in action, Liban says. Both the credential and the internship have “inadvertently jumpstarted my entire sustainability career.”

Gaining a Comprehensive Lens

Caden Stott, who will be completing his Master of Science in Sustainability Management at the Stevens Institute of Technology this May, has a strong interest in infrastructure projects focused on revitalizing urban centers. He credits Envision with teaching him to look at projects in this area “through a much more three-dimensional approach.” There are high levels of nuance in design, with a multitude of factors affecting project outcomes, he adds. “Envision has also shown just how interconnected the goals of sustainability can be.” 

Stott says the ability to identify and successfully pursue sustainability improvements is very encouraging for a young professional. “It is very easy to enter a doom cycle while reading the news, and negativity generates headlines,” says Stott. “My education has opened my eyes to the incredible progress being made across the world in decarbonization.” 

Defining a Career Path 

Gisela Milagros Chuco Garcia says her Envision training helped bring into focus the sustainability aspect of her career as an engineer. It specifically reinforced the importance of considering environmental, social, and economic impacts in the design and implementation of electronic systems, says Garcia, a young engineer with Regenerativa in Peru. “This knowledge has made me more mindful of sustainability in my field and has enhanced the value I bring to every project.” She has worked to highlight how sustainability not only benefits the environment, but also leads to more efficient, cost-effective, and resilient solutions. “It has been rewarding to see the growing interest and commitment to sustainability, and I am excited to contribute to this positive change through my work.”

Reaching New Heights

Courtney Gantt, an Environmental Stewardship and Resilience Consultant with RS&H, affirms, “I have developed immensely in my career with the ENV SP credential.” Supporting airports in their drive to further sustainability on capital projects is her primary professional focus with RS&H, and demand for her expertise only seems to keep growing.

“Currently I am the Envision Program Leader at our firm, and I have found that many clients are interested in our Envision services. Since there are few people that specialize in Envision services, having this credential has allowed my career to grow and to expand our client base.”
— Courtney Gantt

Gantt uses Envision to promote sustainable design, construction, and operations elements in airport capital development projects. This can include activities such as leading groups through stakeholder charettes for individual projects, supporting construction contractors, developing programmatic approaches to sustainability, and participating in Envision industry working groups. 

“Currently I am the Envision Program Leader at our firm, and I have found that many clients are interested in our Envision services,” says Gantt. “Since there are few people that specialize in Envision services, having this credential has allowed my career to grow and to expand our client base.”

Championing Best Practices

Awarded a master’s in urban planning from the University of Southern California, Jason Leung is applying his knowledge of Envision and green infrastructure practices as a transportation planner with AECOM. Recently, he has been involved in developing a sustainability management plan for a bus rapid transit project in Los Angeles. He specifically used his knowledge to outline sustainable design options that guided station concepts and urban design strategies for the project. 

The icing on the cake was the opportunity to present a poster on sustainable design best practices for bus rapid transit at the 2024 ISI Annual Conference. Says Leung: “Being able to present my knowledge, connect with industry professionals, and receive feedback on my ideas was a valuable and rewarding experience.

Leading With Impact

Bedros Keushkerian of Syracuse University, who is completing a Ph.D in infrastructure management, became an ENV SP in 2024. He says the framework aligns very well with his research focus and professional aspirations to integrate sustainability into transportation and urban development projects. 

Envision was an integral part of the stormwater management course he took at Syracuse, which was taught by Dr. Svetoslava Todorova, a Professor of Practice in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, and a member of ISI’s Academic Committee. Her insights and emphasis on sustainability helped shape Keushkerian’s thinking and motivated him to pursue the credential. 

He’s now keen to apply Envision principles in evaluating and improving the sustainability of transportation and infrastructure management systems. “Additionally, I aim to incorporate Envision-based assessments into my research and consulting work to support sustainable project development.”