GMC’s Environmental team featured on “Our Work Seminar” video series by Auburn University College of Agriculture

Rachel Kuntz, an environmental scientist with Goodwyn Mills Cawood (GMC), was featured on the Auburn University College of Agriculture Our Work Seminar film series, highlighting graduates making an environmental impact through their work.

The Our Work Seminar film series is aimed to educate students on the opportunities available in various career fields, with the March 2023 episode focusing on environmental science. The film features interviews with three Auburn Ag graduates, including GMC’s Rachel Kuntz. 

During her interview, Rachel showcased a green infrastructure street retrofit project designed by GMC in St. Mary’s, Georgia. GMC worked with the city to redesign St. Mary’s Street, the main downtown street that has direct access to the St. Mary’s River and downtown parks. The redesign included reducing the width of asphalt, expanding the sidewalk on the north side of St. Mary’s Street and adding greenery and landscape amenities, with a second phase enhancing accessibility and drainage in front of City Hall.

As part of this project, GMC’s Environmental team worked with the city on a successful grant application to install green infrastructure to enhance stormwater management, reduce pollutants and improve aesthetic value. The grant fully-funded the design and construction of green infrastructure which included permeable pavement and bioretention cells to replace impervious asphalt parking stalls and raised landscape areas. In addition, Rachel demonstrated the process used to test stormwater runoff samples to monitor water quality and the effectiveness of the green infrastructure and low-impact development techniques in place.

When asked her advice for students getting into the consulting side of environmental science, Rachel recommends students do their research. “I would definitely recommend looking into the firms you are interested in and finding out more about their mission and the different kinds of projects they work on,” said Kuntz. “Find a firm that aligns with your values. For me, I admired GMC’s mission of building communities so it was easy for me to reach out and inquire with them about career opportunities in environmental science.”

Click here to watch Rachel’s complete interview in the Our Work Seminar episode, and visit the Auburn University College of Agriculture website to learn more.