Professionals taking classes on environment

As a certified public accountant, Cindy Nickerson realized there was something missing in her career. Nickerson, a California State University, Fullerton graduate student in the Environmental Studies Program, knew that the business community and folks innatural science fields simply don't communicate. "Hopefully, I can contribute to that communication," she said. Nickerson quit her job as an accountant and now does volunteer work with organizations dedicated to bettering the environment. Area colleges and universities are reporting an increase in students interested in studying society and the environment. Students groups such as the Rainforest Action Group at Chapman University and new chapters of Greenpeace and the Sierra Club at local colleges sprout every year. Two years ago, Cal State Fullerton didn't have an Environmental Studies Program, but because of demand, it now offers a master's degree in the field. Students from just about every background enroll in the program, said Dennis Berg, Cal State Fullerton's coordinator of Environmental Studies. "It's rich with people with different expertises," he said. "We have a fairly broad perspective of all environmental concerns. Every day of the year, I get a call from a new student interested in the program. " Berg said half of the graduate students already work in an environmental field yet go back to school to receive more training to advance at their jobs. "Everywhere you turn there are increased amounts of environmental regulations and I think an increased awareness," he said. "We can't continue to do the things we did in the past." Governmental agencies as well as private industry are more often hiring environmental consultants. For example, developers and cities must hire geologists to determine if land is stable for housing. Consultants specializing in hazardous waste are often hired by businesses that use or emit chemical byproducts. Chapman University's Environmental Sciences department is a growing one.