Kevin Burls
High School: Steele
Major: Environmental Biology
Why did you choose to pursue environmental biology at Mount Union?I chose to pursue my degree because of my love of the outdoors and the comprehensive program Mount Union offered in the different aspects of ecology.
What types of jobs are available for students who share your major? Environmental Biologists can work in jobs in the EPA; for private research companies hired by businesses to ensure they meet environmental regulation standards; for environmental-legal companies, as field ecologists for the national parks or other recreational lands, or as educators in the public or private sectors.
How will you use your degree upon graduation? I will be going on to graduate school to pursue a degree in conservation biology.
What activities are you involved in? I am president of the Students for Environmental Awareness Club, and am involved in Tri Beta, the biology honorary, and in Blue Key, a service organization. In the past, I was also involved in Sophomore Service.
Elements a person should possess to succeed in your major? Students interested in biology, above all else, should have a broad interest in their discipline. Biology is an ever expanding subject with many different fields, and an undergraduate student should be ready to learn all they can in the short amount of time they will be in college. As every aspect blends into every other aspect; everything in biology is interrelated.
What advice can you offer for someone who is considering having the same major as you? My advice to prospective biology majors is to take every course you can in the subject. There are many broad fields in biology to study, and by taking everything you will find what really sparks your passion.