Three Western Colorado University graduate students earn national River Studies and Leadership Certificate

Across the West, the demand for professionals who can balance competing needs for water has never been greater. Now, three students in Western Colorado University’s Clark School of Environment and Sustainability are one step closer to finding that balance, becoming the first students from Western to complete the River Studies and Leadership Certificate program.

Master of Environmental Management students Eva Anderson, Garret Christie, and Elisa Elsberry earned the River Management Society certificate by completing coursework and a 90-hour professional experience, preparing them for careers in river science, conservation, and recreation.

Through the program, students developed expertise in river science, policy, education, and recreation, both in the classroom and in the field. This year, the River Management Society awarded the certificate to just 22 students nationwide.

“The River Studies and Leadership Certificate gives students a depth and breadth of experience that sets them apart as they begin careers in the water field,” said lecturer Dr. Susan Washko, the students’ advisor. “By combining interdisciplinary coursework with professional experience and river safety training, students graduate with both the knowledge and the practical skills employers are looking for. It’s been incredibly rewarding to watch our students grow into confident, capable early-career professionals.”

For her professional experience, Anderson is working as a hydrologic technician at Curecanti National Recreation Area near Gunnison, where she helps monitor and manage water resources in the headwaters of the Gunnison River, a major tributary of the Colorado River.

For Elsberry, the program expanded both her knowledge and professional network.

“This program was an amazing opportunity to further my knowledge in river studies and allowed me to meet new people who also have a passion for rivers,” she said.

Christie is spending six months as a fisheries technician with Idaho Fish and Game, helping manage sportfish and nongame fish populations in the Idaho Panhandle. He said attending the 2025 River Management Society Symposium in Ashland, Oregon, and floating the upper Klamath River following dam removal underscored the value of the program.

“Seeing the river in this restored state was both inspiring and impactful,” he said, “offering a powerful reminder of the resilience of natural systems.”

According to the River Management Society, certificate recipients graduate prepared for careers in fisheries, hydrology, geographic information systems, environmental consulting, recreation management, invasive species prevention, and watershed conservation.

“They represent the future of river management,” said Risa Shimoda, executive director of the River Management Society. “Seeing students enter the field with both the knowledge and practical experience needed to meet the complex challenges facing rivers is exciting for us today, and it will make a difference for the rivers that benefit from their experience, tomorrow.”