The Coastal Society's Coastal Careers Workshop (Rhode Island)

The Coastal Society (TCS)'s Coastal Career Workshop (hosted by the University of Rhode Island) is the place to be for aspiring coastal professionals in the southern New England region! Join us at URI's main campus in Kingston, RI for an in-person event filled with networking, informative talks, and career advice from experts in the field. Whether you're a student looking to kickstart your career or an early professional seeking expanded opportunities, this workshop is the perfect place to connect with like-minded individuals and learn from professionals in your field. Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to take your coastal career to the next level!

This workshop will not touch on basic skills offered by other entities such as general resume editing and interview preparation. Rather, attendees will benefit from a) learning about career paths not always broadcast by institutions of higher learning or colleagues, b) hearing speakers from a wide range of environmental fields share their personal career journeys, and c) engaging speakers in small groups to discuss specific skills. Past workshops have featured talks on navigating USAJobs.gov, marketing yourself, effective networking that truly sets you up to land your desired job, and much more. This time, the workshop will feature speakers from organizations in Rhode Island who may be looking to hire!

All of our speakers are not only dedicated to their professional practice, but are eager to give back to the next class of coastal and environmental professionals. There will be ample opportunities to network with speakers and your fellow attendees and to learn more about what TCS can do for you throughout your career.

Tickets are available for $15.00 ($17.85 including Eventbrite fee) and a light breakfast will be provided beginning at 8:30am in the lobby of the URI Coastal Studies Institute's Weaver Auditorium (1 Greenhouse Rd, Kingston, RI 02881) on URI's Kingston campus following check-in. Free parking will be available (check back soon for details).

*****We encourage attendees to arrive by 8:30am to provide ample time to check-in and get settled before the workshop starts at 9:00am.*****

For more information on TCS and our coastal career development program, please visit https://thecoastalsociety.org/ and click on the Margaret A. Davidson Coastal Career Development Program tab. And don't hesitate to reach out to TCS MAD Program Coordinator Jeff Flood directly at [email protected]. Jeff is also a Coastal Planner with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, but as a past attendee of TCS career workshops before landing his current position, he greatly benefited from them and is eager to help others succeed in their career journeys!

Photos above from the April 9, 2025 TCS MAD Workshop held in conjunction with the North Carolina Coastal Federation's 2025 Coastal Summit: The Ripple Effect- Enhancing Oysters, Salt Marsh and Water Quality Together. For past workshop materials, please visit https://thecoastalsociety.org/margaret-a-davidson-coastal-career-development-program/.

Info: Katy Robinson Hall, Save the Bay - Legal & Policy Career Development; Kyle McElroy, City of Pawtucket - Resilience Planning in Local Govt; Lyndsey Pyrke-Fairchild, Empire Fisheries - Securing Grants & Advocating for Sustainable Seafood Policy ; Speaker #4 TBD

Info: Catie Alves, Save the Bay - Interdisciplinary Science & Advocacy; Eva Touhey, WastNaut Consulting - Non-Traditional Career Paths; Saiontoni Sarker, RISG - Community Engagement & Building Your Network; Jennifer West, Narragansett Bay NERR - NERR Careers & Networking

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

URI Coastal Studies Institute's Weaver Auditorium, 1 Greenhouse Road, South Kingstown, United States