I recall sitting down with Katie Kross, the managing director of Fuqua’s Center for Energy, Development, and the Global Environment (EDGE), while I was visiting campus the winter before starting my MBA career. Katie talked with me about all of the cool EDGE initiatives on campus, and I was blown away. EDGE is involved in everything energy and environment-related at Fuqua!

There are too many ways to count how EDGE has enriched my MBA experience. However, I would like to highlight these two:

Serving on the EDGE Student Council

The EDGE student council is comprised of the student leads from Fuqua’s Energy Club, Net Impact Club, Agriculture Club, and MEM/MBA Club (comprised of joint-degree students). As the co-president of the MEM/MBA Club, I had the opportunity to serve on the EDGE Student Council Board. We had bi-annual meetings to discuss ways to collaborate with other clubs represented on the council and how to more effectively lead our respective groups.

Through working with the council, I got feedback from other environmental-focused leaders on how to better serve the Fuqua community, and we were able to work with other clubs to co-host events. I went to business school to advance my career and work on issues I care about and develop my leadership skills, which is exactly what I got to do as a member of the EDGE student council.

Engaging with Industry Leaders

This year, Duke hosted the 2018 ClimateCap summit. EDGE managed the entire event and it was a spectacular success. All of the speakers were engaging and challenged the way I think about climate change. There were interesting questions, like “How do we price climate change into the real-estate market in cities like Miami?”

Although ClimateCap was a highlight, it’s not the only time that EDGE brought business and environment thought leaders to campus. The EDGE Seminar, for example, is a class that hosts business executives each week to have candid conversations about the most pressing environmental topics we are currently facing. I feel very fortunate to have the access and opportunity to engage with industry leaders who are at the forefront of asking and answering these complex questions.