"There’s a pretty good mix of people in the classes, too, and I think it benefits the typical undergraduate to have people with real-life experience who bring it into the classroom. And all the professors are really so wonderfully supportive.

Deborah appreciates how professors at Penn who teach in the bachelor of arts program really care about students. "They're willing to talk to you and help you any time. They have an amazing academic drive—always striving toward excellence—and that brings out the best in me."

The inspiration for Kramek’s capstone project on environmental management for malaria prevention was her selection to a team of graduate students and faculty awarded a Provost’s grant for an international and interdisciplinary project addressing a real-world problem

“When I visited Penn, and especially when I met the faculty and staff in LPS, I felt a real warmth and sense of community," says Chambers. "And I have the same opportunities and access to resources as Penn's traditional undergrad students — no limits."

So far my degree has taken me to India. I am working with an NGO in Bangalore called Janaagraha, which works to improve urban governance through advocacy and increasing citizen participation. I am teaching a course in qualitative social science research methods at a local college as part of the youth outreach program.

I chose to pursue my final project with NASA because of my interest in the various surface processes on Mars and how they shaped the landscape over time; in particular, its fluvial history. Having the opportunity to do my final project at NASA was a new and exciting experience for me.

The Penn MSAG program has allowed me to better development my education while remaining in my career as a hydrologist at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The flexible class schedule and course options were great for me because as my career developed and new projects came along, I was able to tailor my coursework to meet these needs.