Outdoor Passion Fuels Environmental Science Degree

Published September 3, 2024

Assma Shabab, a resident of Herndon, Virginia, is channeling her love for the outdoors into a promising academic and professional journey in environmental science and policy.

Currently enrolled in the MS in Environmental Science and Policy program at Johns Hopkins University, Shabab is set to graduate in May 2025.

“I chose this specific field as it allowed for an interdisciplinary approach,” said Shabab, 27. “It helps me gain a deeper understanding to address some of the most urgent environmental issues today through ethical, legal, political, economic, and historical contexts.”

Her academic program at Johns Hopkins is a hybrid model, combining in-person and online classes. This flexible approach allows her to balance her studies with other professional engagements.

“The schedule flexibility that the coursework allows makes it much easier for people who have a job to complete the coursework,” Shabab said, praising the university’s accommodation of working professionals.

The impressive network and connectivity within the environmental industry sector and the broad course selection were significant factors in her decision to attend Johns Hopkins.

“I found that courses available were broad enough to choose which area to specialize in, such as sustainability or conservation,” Shabab said.

Shabab’s future is focused on water resources policy and management in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, one of the most water-scarce areas in the world.

“Climate change has only exacerbated this issue,” she said. “I aim to bring in the knowledge I have acquired throughout my master’s degree and GIS skills to help alleviate water stress in the region and allow for more transboundary water collaborations between nations.”

In addition to her studies, Shabab is actively involved in the field through a fellowship program with the University of New Hampshire Sustainability Institute. She works under Northeast Conservation Services LLC, an environmental consultancy agency, gaining hands-on experience in sustainability practices.

Shabab also shares her passion for environmental science and policy through her personal blog, where she writes posts focused on sustainability and related topics. View Assama Shabob’s Environmental blog.