Maggie Schultz, a graduate of environmental science and engineering. Originally from Michigan, her work focuses on sustainability and data modeling. Previously, she has worked at Dewberry, the Harvard Sustainability Office, and the SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research. At Harvard, she served on the FOP Steering Committee and as the Treasurer of Engineers without Borders. She is going on to work on climate risk modeling for investors at Intercontinental Exchange.

HTR:

What does the concept of being an innovator mean to you? How do you manifest this in your daily life, and in the work that you do?

Maggie:

To me, being an innovator involves thinking about new ways to do things that could potentially be better and more optimized than old practices. This became more evident to me after I graduated and started doing work that was entirely non-academic. During my time volunteering at a surf camp, I realized I had room to innovate because the projects were mine. It was different from my time at Harvard, but I used the same innovative thought processes that I learned there, which was quite fascinating.

HTR:

Reflecting on your time at Harvard, were there any classes, teachers, or peers that inspired you or had a significant impact on your life?

Maggie:

Yes, I deeply appreciated my time with Engineers Without Borders. I took that as a class but also participated as an extracurricular. It was an excellent platform where you could contemplate science and technology within a humanitarian context. The work we did had meaningful outcomes, and seeing a project from start to finish was incredibly gratifying. This experience is something I will look back on and cherish about my time at Harvard.

HTR:

Could you talk about your senior capstone project? What led you to choose that specific project, and what were some of the challenges and successes that emerged?

Maggie:

My senior design project revolved around a machine learning model of particulate matter pollution, aligning with my environmental engineering studies. The inspiration came from a time when I was running amidst heavy pollution, and I wished there was a way to know the air quality along my specific route. From there, I reached out to people within the atmospheric chemistry space at Harvard, who introduced me to the field of atmospheric modeling and the use of machine learning for air quality predictions. It led me to focus on particulate matter 2.5, which is the most harmful pollutant for human health – a topic I’m deeply interested in.

HTR:

What excites you about environmental science and engineering? Why did you choose to follow this path?

Maggie:

I’ve always enjoyed math and science, so I knew I wanted to venture into a related field. Environmental engineering excites me because it’s about solving problems related to the Earth and climate change. The field is fast-paced and filled with funding and resources, which makes it even more interesting. I also enjoy problem-solving with data. With ample data available for our Earth, it’s rewarding to examine historical data of various air pollutants and use that to predict the future.

HTR:

If you could give advice to your freshman-year self, what would you advise about navigating Harvard?

Maggie:

If I could go back, I would advise myself not to be too fixed on environmental engineering from the start. Knowing exactly what you want to do can narrow your exploration scope. I believe it would have been beneficial to take classes that didn’t necessarily align with environmental engineering, which would have allowed me to take full advantage of all that Harvard had to offer.

HTR:

What are you most excited about working on after graduation, and what’s your long-term vision?

Maggie:

I’m thrilled about the job I’ll be starting after graduation. The company, Intercontinental Exchange, does climate risk modeling for investors. It feels rewarding to know that the work I’m doing within the climate space can influence how people invest. Looking ahead, I hope to have a long, impactful, and inspiring career in environmental science. In addition, I aspire to open a yoga studio someday and impact people on a more personal level.

HTR:

In either the climate space or innovation in general, what are some new problems that excite you about the future, and what are some things that worry you?

Maggie:

The increased interest in the climate space is exciting. However, artificial intelligence is both intriguing and concerning. Regardless of the scientific and technological solutions to climate problems, a lot depends on how policy guides the implementation of these solutions. Geoengineering can be both scary and exciting, and the direction it takes will heavily depend on the policy surrounding it. As I embark on my post-grad career, I’m keen on learning more about this.