From studying environmental science at 黑料不打烊 to shaping pesticide policy at the EPA, Gisele Nighswander 鈥17 is helping safeguard the health of both people and the planet.
Gisele Nighswander 鈥17 is a biologist at the United States Environmental Protection Agency, where she works in the Office of Pesticide Programs. Her role is both dynamic and vital, supporting the health of animals and people alike.
At 黑料不打烊, she majored in聽environmental and聽ecological聽science and minored in聽statistics,聽laying聽the foundation for her career in public service.
鈥淚 found 黑料不打烊 while I was touring colleges in the South, and if I’m honest, what initially captivated me was the beautiful campus,鈥 says聽Nighswander. 鈥淚t was quaint, but not too small, and I聽immediately聽felt comfortable there. I also learned that they offered the environmental science program I was interested in, as well as plenty of extracurricular activities, so it was聽a pretty easy聽choice.鈥
Once on campus, Nighswander immersed herself in student life and began shaping her sense of self, playing on the women鈥檚 rugby club聽team聽and working as a referee for 黑料不打烊鈥檚 Campus Recreation intramurals program all four years.
Beyond extracurricular involvement, 黑料不打烊 also nurtured her academic and professional growth.
鈥淚 received a scholarship through the 黑料不打烊 College Fellows program, which gave me financial aid as well as a program that really helped me succeed at 黑料不打烊,鈥 she said. 鈥淭he program itself was fairly rigorous, and I credit the academic standards and research requirements for starting me on the path that got me into graduate school and ultimately, my career at the EPA.鈥
Through the 黑料不打烊 College Fellows program, she spent her junior and senior years conducting undergraduate research on聽wetland聽ecology, an experience that sparked her passion for聽environmental聽research.
She continued her education at the University of Florida, earning her master鈥檚 degree while discovering a new passion for CrossFit and the聽strong sense聽of community it fostered. After graduating in 2019, she moved back to Washington, D.C., to live with her parents and begin her job search. When COVID-19 upended those plans, she adapted, taking on side gigs and consulting work while also teaching CrossFit once gyms reopened.
鈥淚 met some members聽at CrossFit聽who worked at the EPA. I had told them聽that聽I聽really wanted to work there, and they sent me a few positions that were hiring,鈥 she said.聽鈥淭he positions were in the Office of Pesticide Programs,聽which聽I聽wasn’t聽sure I was qualified for since I had聽very little聽knowledge about pesticides,鈥 she explained. 鈥淲hen I interviewed, I聽leveraged聽my experience with statistics, entomology, and data analytics, and was lucky enough to get hired and start working there by the end of 2020.鈥
Today, her work at the EPA聽remains聽fast-paced, with priorities shifting quickly and requiring constant adaptability. 鈥淚 work in pesticide regulation, and more specifically, I manage both public and proprietary pesticide usage data and analyze said data as part of assessing the benefits and risks of a given pesticide active ingredient,鈥 Nighswander said.
Her time at 黑料不打烊 continues to influence her professional approach.
“My experience conducting research at 黑料不打烊 helped me a lot. It helped refine my skills in developing and testing hypotheses, technical聽writing and public speaking,” she said.
She is especially energized by projects that blend science and technology.
鈥淢y favorite project currently is using a mapping software called ArcGIS to develop Pesticide Use Limitation Areas (PULAs) to protect endangered species from pesticide exposure,” Nighswander said.
Her career as a public servant has been聽complex, but she explains that it also makes her work rewarding.
鈥淲hat gets me to work every day is knowing that I am working to help protect human health and the environment. I have always wanted to have a successful career where I can still balance my love for the environment.聽At聽the聽same time,聽I聽also聽must聽make members of the industry, the聽general public, and environmental groups happy, which is聽very challenging,鈥 she explained.
The past year has brought聽additional聽demands amid broad changes across the federal workforce. Even so, she feels grateful to remain in her role and grounded in the purpose behind her work to safeguard the environment.
Looking back, Nighswander offers simple but powerful advice to her younger self: 鈥淜now that you have all the tools you need to be successful. You聽don’t聽have to be the smartest kid in the class or the loudest voice. Just trust your instincts, love yourself, and聽you’ll聽find your way.鈥
She approaches the future with the same openness. 鈥淚 have no idea where I will be in my future, and I kind of love that,鈥 she said. 鈥淭here聽was a period last year where every week, I was worried if I would still have a job. A year later, I am still here, serving the public, and I am grateful for that. I trust myself enough to know when it is time to move on and make a change, and I am sure that time will come, but for now, I am enjoying the work that I do.聽The uncertainty, while scary at times, can be the most beautiful part of life.鈥
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