Global Scholars
Global Scholars at the Byrd Center
The next generation
Posted by Jim Stagge on February 17, 2026
This month, I was honored to participate in the Columbus Global Scholars program hosted by the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center. Over the course of the several events in February, we welcomed 360 high school visitors representing 19 different schools from across the region to discuss our changing climate and ways to get involved.
I spoke during three days of the program, focusing on my own nonlinear career path, from uncertain engineer, to environmental lab work, to engineering firms, and back to academia to focus on hydrology and water resources. I aimed to highlight the wide range of careers available in climate science and adaptation and to emphasize that there is no one-size-fits-all path.
It was a very inspiring experience and I was excited to hear all the thoughtful questions from visiting students.
