Halle Krieger

Current Employer/Organisation Name

University of Exeter

What have you been doing since leaving Exeter, and what are you doing now?

After graduating from the Masters in Global Sustainability Solutions at the GSI, I worked for less than a year in life sciences consulting (what I had been doing previously before the masters). I will continue my masters dissertation research through a PhD project focused on detecting signs of positive tipping points.

Please tell us if you were a member of any societies, groups or sports clubs?

I was part of the Geography & Yoga societies. I also connected with other international students through a mentoring program.

What did you enjoy most about your programme and what was the biggest highlight?

I appreciated the breadth of all that was covered in the MSc in Global Sustainability Solutions – climate science, environmental policymaking, systems thinking, the role of technological innovation in adapting to / mitigating the climate crisis as well as potential pitfalls and risks, sustainability theory, practical application through the “Sustainability in Practice” module, to name a few.

Why did you choose to study at Exeter?

I chose to study at Exeter because it is a leading research institution for climate research and, in particular, climate and social tipping points. Institutions like the GSI have taken a very holistic and creative “thinking outside of the box” approach to the climate and ecological crisis, which was a big attractor for me.

What skills and experiences have been most useful for your career?

My dissertation work for the MSc in Global Sustainability Solutions set me up perfectly to pursue a PhD in positive tipping points. I formed a strong academic network during my masters that will serve me well in the PhD. As an international student, it is important to me that I have lived in Exeter already and have friends there, which will make the adjustment process much easier for me.

What advice would you give to a current student who wishes to pursue your career?

I pursued the MSc in Global Sustainability Solutions at Exeter because I knew I wanted to pursue a career in sustainability, but I had no idea what type of role would interest me most or best suit me and did not want to pigeon-hole myself too early by specializing within one problem area. I wanted a program that would offer a breadth of modules for this reason. If you are like me and trying to get a “lay of the land” in sustainability, I would highly recommend this program.

I would also recommend that, as you move forward in your career, check in regularly with yourself about what genuinely excites you (and be honest about it). And, keep an open mind to what could come your way – things never turn out as expected.

What are your plans for the future?

I plan to expand upon my masters dissertation research in detecting signals of positive tipping points using Google Trends in a larger PhD project at Exeter in the Geography department. I’m very excited!