In this series, Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences is shining the spotlight on distinguished members of the Class of 2022 from a wide array of disciplines.
Odyssey Scholar Rosalyn Allen ’22 will graduate with a degree in environmental and sustainability studies with a focus in human ecology and minors in geographic information systems (GIS), geography, and peace and conflict studies.
“I chose to study these topics because of my interest in how climate change affects communities, especially within the realm of environmental justice,” Allen said.
Allen was named to the Presidents List six consecutive semesters, the Civic Life Service Honor Roll in fall 2021, and is a member of Kappa Delta sorority.
Tell us about your GIS research.
I am currently working on an independent study for GIS. I’m looking at admissions data from zip codes of admitted and attended students for the past 20 years. Dr. Ryan Kirk and I decided to investigate this topic because of my affiliation with the Elon Admission’s Office West Coast Student Ambassador Program. We wanted to find trends in admissions on the West Coast and see if that can help Elon understand more about our student population.
Was there are professor you worked closely with? How did that influence your Elon experience?
In fall 2021, I took my Elon COR capstone course, Sustainable Development, with Associate Professor of International Business Carri Reisdorf. She was extremely passionate about corporate sustainability, a topic I was interested but knew little about. After class one day, I asked her for advice about how to become a sustainability consultant and she recommended learning the Global Reporting Initiative Standards (GRI), which is a way businesses can report on how sustainable they are. Dr. Reisdorf helped me receive funding from both the Love School of Business and Odyssey Scholars to take the course and certification alongside her. This is an experience I wouldn’t have been able to seek out on my own and I’m extremely grateful for it.
This has been the most valuable course I’ve taken at Elon. Prior to this course, I was unsure what career path I wanted to take. Dr. Reisdorf introduced me to corporate sustainability and the dire importance of companies taking climate action. At the end of May, I will be completing and taking my GRI Sustainability Professional certification.
What are your plans after graduation?
I’m moving to the Washington, D.C., area and am in the final stages of interviewing with four different companies in the consulting and startup fields.
What advice would you give future Elon students?
Get to know the faculty and staff at Elon! They truly are the reason why Elon is so great.