Welcome to Season 2 of the climate change careers podcast, How We Got Here! We are so pleased to kick it off with the incredible Risalat Khan, who—get this—is a campaigner. No, he doesn’t work on political campaigns, but on campaigns to convince the world that we can and should live in a more just environment. And YES he does get paid!!!

Join us as we take a winding path through Risalat’s journey from being named Bangladesh’s top teen event-planner-extraordinaire, to striking up an email convo with his future employer, to leaning into his Myers-Briggs identity. And boy do we talk Myers-Briggs. #StephIsSuchAnINTJ

You can follow Risalat on Twitter here.

To help with climate-change-induced flood-relief efforts in Southeast Asia, please consider donating to:

BRAC: A Bangladesh-based global nonprofit

Women Democratic Front: A Pakistani feminist network working on flood relief efforts

Steph and Rachel have been busy this summer. But not too busy to start recording new episodes.

Hear them check in, catch up, and look forward to the new podcast season.

Here ye, here ye! We know everything about the academic job search!

Psych. On this episode of How We Got Here, we talk to each other about the perils, pitfalls, and page-length-of-cover-letters of the mysterious wonders that comprise the job search for a professorship. Rachel talks about her recent failures and successes in the most recent #jobseason, while Steph provides crucial insight from the point of view of a search committee member. Application materials, first and second round interviewing, negotiations… Denmark does everything better (?!)… we cover it all!

Listener questions guide this podcasr episode but NO, we CANNOT answer the question: What am I doing with my life?! Sorry. We don’t know either.

ALERT! YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE A POLICY MAJOR TO END UP IN POLICY. WE REPEAT. SCIENTISTS CAN PIVOT TO POLICY WORK.

Dr. Catherine Pomposi is a trained climate scientist with a passion for engaging in public policy and program management. Catherine has extensive experience working on climate policy development, climate risk management, adaptation, and improving resiliency...and drinking Dunkin’ Donuts’ iced coffees during a Nor’easter. Although Catherine is currently a Climate Monitoring and Evaluation Advisor with USAID's Bureau for Resilience and Food Security, Steph and Rachel chat with her mostly about her experience as a AAAS fellow on then-Senator Kamala Harris’ energy and environmental policy team. Following her own career transition from academia to policy, she has been inspired to work with students through various mentorship programs to help demystify the process—a goal after our own hearts!

Catherine joins us in her personal capacity. All views and opinions expressed are her own and not necessarily those of her current or previous employers.

Also, Steph and Rachel acknowledge that their podcast intro is long this week, but it was necessary that they talk all things Price is Right.

Dr. Vijay Limaye is a climate and health scientist at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC, nbd). Vijay, who has a joint PhD in Environment & Resources AND Epidemiology, talks to Rachel and Steph about how the climate crisis (or should we be calling it the climate problem?!) IS actually a health crisis. He chats about everything from his first job bagging groceries to his love of languages to the importance of science communication. Vijay also talks about his his journey in deciding to get a PhD while also knowing the end-game wasn’t academia, and why you should maybe check-out your college career fair. Two words: free pizza.

You can follow his very informative and entertaining twitter feed here!

Jordan Rowell doesn’t have a business card, but he does have a delightful LinkedIn bio: Student of Life & University of Vermont | Builder of Trails & Community | Producer of Place-based Media & Belly Laughs. This episode, Steph and Rachel talk to Jordan about his latest foray into “place-based media," a documentary, “No Other Lake," following his journey paddling the entirety of Lake Champlain. Along the way, he talks to all sorts of people about the lake’s ecological significance, the environmental challenges facing the basin, and how to protect it for future generations. Jordan also talks about his winding pre-college path that includes working at McDonalds, dressing up at a ski lodge as a mouse (?!) to entertain children, and leading middle-aged men through ropes courses: all experiences that led to his appreciation of outdoor recreation, community building, and conservation.

You stay updated on “No Other Lake” by following their Instagram and checking out their website.