This quarter’s I-GUIDE Ascender, Michael Englert, completed his graduate degree earlier this year, working with his academic advisor Dr. Courtney Flint who contributes to I-GUIDE’s work on aging dams.
What at is your current position and institutional affiliation?
I am a just-graduated Master’s student from Utah State University with a degree in Environment and Society.
What was your role in I-GUIDE?
I was one of the graduate researchers working on the downstream vulnerabilities of dams. [A copy of Michael’s thesis, Using a Social-Ecological-Technological Systems Approach for Assessing Vulnerabilities Downstream of Dams, is available at the USU Digital Commons site.]
Did you start your academic career with the same goals and direction as you have now? If not, tell us a little about how and why your direction has changed?
No, I started my academic career looking forward to securing a job with an engineering firm or agency that focused on GIS related work. Now my focus is on starting my own business, where I bring my skills to my own work and be rewarded for my knowledge and experience.
What inspires you and motivates you to do the work that you do?
I wand to be able to earn a living where I am in control of what I do in my life.
Do/did you have a Plan B? What do you think you’d be doing if you hadn’t chosen an academic career?
Yes, I would more than likely go back into construction or go to a trade school and enter the trades, where there are better opportunities than what is currently available with a college degree. Whether be as an electrician, machinist, or heavy equipment operator; those jobs are in demand and pay much better than even what I could make with my current masters degree.
What is the next chapter (aspirational or planned) in your career?
Start my own business, have a family, and live life to the fullest.
What would you like to be when you grow up?
A small business owner that gets to work from home, occasionally travel for work, raise my family from home, explore the natural world, and live a fulfilling life.