Dees goes to Washington for D.O.J. internship

Jason Dees, a UTC environmental science graduate student, has been awarded a summer internship in Washington, DC, working for the Environmental Program Manager in the U.S. Department of Justice.

After Dees succeeded in the highly competitive selection process, he prepared for
an experience in helping develop policy and programs in accordance with Presidential Executive Order (EO) 13148, Greening the Government Through Leadership in Environmental Management, and other executive orders, laws and regulations.

Specifically, Dees will be assisting with the development of a facility Environmental Management System according to International Standards Organization (ISO) 14001.

“Basically, this is a voluntary system that would help the Department Of Justice consider and decrease its environmental impacts. ISO 14001 is becoming increasingly popular as an international standard for businesses and governments that would like to improve their environmental performance. As the popularity of this standard grows the demand for environmental scientists, and others, experienced in implementing the standard will also grow,” Dees said.

The unique approach to interdisciplinary training at UTC was essential in qualifying Dees for the internship, according to Dr. John Tucker, Environmental Science Graduate Program Coordinator.

“In addition to taking environmental science courses in environmental law, statistics, pollution, and conservation, he has also taken several courses from other departments, including ones in public policy, state government, politics, and policy and environmental economics. And, of course, Jason is an outstanding student and individual!” Tucker said.

As a student in the Environmental Science Graduate Program at UTC, Dees enjoyed the flexibility in choosing his courses.

“The program has let me branch out and study relevant topics in economics, communications, and political science. All of these varied courses reflect my educational goals,” Dees said.

Besides Dees’ academic grasp of environmental laws and regulations, he was also required to possess strong organizational, communication, and computer skills, coupled with the ability to work well with staff members from various backgrounds and disciplines.

Dees’ career possibilities are wide open. “I would be happy working in almost any environmental field, but I am specifically interested in environmental politics and law. A job working in federal or state government would be an ideal position considering my interests,” Dees said.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is celebrating 60 year of providing graduate studies for students. Considering earning your master’s degree? UTC Graduate Studies has a lot to offer.