Student Profile Archives

Aaron Brownell
"ISD Student"

Aaron Brownell is a full-time student in the ISD-TD master’s program and a Shriver Center Peaceworker, a fellowship for selected Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs). As part of his fellowship, Brownell became Coordinator of UMBC’s International Work and Service Program at the Shriver Center where he has been able to apply the skills and techniques learned in his classes to his job. Currently, Brownell is designing a training program for the Shriver Center.

After receiving a B.A. in Biology from Drew University and serving as an Environmental Educator in Senegal, West Africa (1999-2001), he returned from overseas and worked at Conservation International (CI), an environmental conservation organization in Washington, D.C.

One of his projects at CI was writing the content for an educational Web site on primates. “I have long been an Environmental Educator and seeing the media (Web sites and videos) that CI uses in their Education program really sparked my interest in learning how to apply these technologies to Environmental Conservation Education. This interest is what led me to UMBC’s ISD-TD program,” states Brownell.

The ISD-TD program has allowed Brownell the flexibility to incorporate his interests in computer- and Web-based training and video into his studies. “The goal that I hope to achieve by completing the ISD-TD program is to apply the ISD theories and the computer and video skills that I am learning to the field of Environmental Conservation Education,” explains Brownell. “The ISD –TD Program has a diversity and flexibility that allows for students’ interests to be encouraged and nurtured.”

“The students, staff, faculty, and alumni of the ISD-TD program are interesting and supportive people. I am happy to be involved in such a community—I would strongly recommend the ISD-TD program,” says Brownell.