{"688313":{"#nid":"688313","#data":{"type":"event","title":"EAS Graduate Alumni Engagement Seminar Series - Dr. Michelle Oakes","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMy career has evolved from hands-on scientific work during graduate school at Georgia Tech to leading technical and policy-focused teams within government, where science and public policy intersect to shape real-world outcomes. During my seminar, I\u2019ll reflect on how the critical thinking skills and technical foundation I developed at Georgia Tech have supported my professional growth and enabled me to contribute to the development of transparent, defensible air quality policies within statutory, legal, and political frameworks that serve communities and stakeholders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince leaving Georgia Tech, I\u2019ve worked at both the state and federal levels, and I\u2019ll discuss the distinctions between them\u2014how priorities, authorities, and implementation responsibilities differ.\u0026nbsp; I will also draw on specific projects I have worked on that drive decision-making in each setting, highlighting how scientific analyses at both levels ultimately shape air quality policy at local, state, and national scales. I\u2019ll also reflect on my transition from a deeply technical, project-focused role into a program management position\u2014leading teams, setting strategic direction, and allocating resources while remaining meaningfully engaged in the science that underpins sound policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, I\u2019ll share practical insights for students considering careers in the public sector, including strategies for navigating the government job search, identifying and articulating transferable skills, and building key competencies before graduation that can help position them for a successful transition into a career in government.\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EMy career has evolved from hands-on scientific work during graduate school at Georgia Tech to leading technical and policy-focused teams within government, where science and public policy intersect to shape real-world outcomes. During my seminar, I\u2019ll reflect on how the critical thinking skills and technical foundation I developed at Georgia Tech have supported my professional growth and enabled me to contribute to the development of transparent, defensible air quality policies within statutory, legal, and political frameworks that serve communities and stakeholders.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESince leaving Georgia Tech, I\u2019ve worked at both the state and federal levels, and I\u2019ll discuss the distinctions between them\u2014how priorities, authorities, and implementation responsibilities differ.\u0026nbsp; I will also draw on specific projects I have worked on that drive decision-making in each setting, highlighting how scientific analyses at both levels ultimately shape air quality policy at local, state, and national scales. I\u2019ll also reflect on my transition from a deeply technical, project-focused role into a program management position\u2014leading teams, setting strategic direction, and allocating resources while remaining meaningfully engaged in the science that underpins sound policy.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EFinally, I\u2019ll share practical insights for students considering careers in the public sector, including strategies for navigating the government job search, identifying and articulating transferable skills, and building key competencies before graduation that can help position them for a successful transition into a career in government.\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Navigating a Career in Government after Graduate School"}],"uid":"36678","created_gmt":"2026-02-17 16:00:14","changed_gmt":"2026-02-17 18:16:45","author":"tbuchanan9","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","field_event_time":{"event_time_start":"2026-03-06T10:00:00-05:00","event_time_end":"2026-03-06T11:00:00-05:00","event_time_end_last":"2026-03-06T11:00:00-05:00","gmt_time_start":"2026-03-06 15:00:00","gmt_time_end":"2026-03-06 16:00:00","gmt_time_end_last":"2026-03-06 16:00:00","rrule":null,"timezone":"America\/New_York"},"location":"EST L1205","extras":[],"hg_media":{"679323":{"id":"679323","type":"image","title":"Headshot - Oakes","body":null,"created":"1771344494","gmt_created":"2026-02-17 16:08:14","changed":"1771344494","gmt_changed":"2026-02-17 16:08:14","alt":"Headshot - Oakes","file":{"fid":"263466","name":"Headshot---Oakes.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/17\/Headshot---Oakes.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2026\/02\/17\/Headshot---Oakes.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":629823,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2026\/02\/17\/Headshot---Oakes.jpg?itok=IQaXj1ue"}}},"media_ids":["679323"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/michelle-oakes-ba8ba84a\/","title":"Oakes - Profile"}],"groups":[{"id":"364801","name":"School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (EAS)"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[{"id":"175623","name":"EAS Seminar"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[],"email":[],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}