Her Story
About Caroline
Caroline Robinson is an environmental scientist and civil engineer with four years of experience. She grew up in a small rural town in Indiana where she developed a passion for the outdoors and the environment. Caroline serves as the appointed environmental scientist for her team at DES Engineering while also performing CAD design and civil engineering work. Her typical responsibilities include preparing for and conducting fieldwork such as sampling and surveying, then compiling data in the office to design sites, create maps, and produce reports. She has contributed to notable projects including remediation design and compliance monitoring for a large local landfill in Crawfordsville. Caroline earned her bachelor's degree in environmental science from Indiana State University after beginning her studies at a community college in rural Illinois. She holds certifications in OSHA, HAZWOPER, and 404 and 401 training. She values sustainability above all, viewing the environment as her ultimate client, and attributes her success to trusting her instincts while working with a supportive team.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Caroline
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to me. I have a great team of coworkers that I work with, I have a great network of friends and family that have always supported me. But at the end of the day, not everyone is there to support every decision that I've made. And I've always known what my path forward was going to be. So, really being able to trust my gut and know what I need to do, what I want to do, despite what others might think. So, I will just say that I am very proud of myself, and what I've been able to overcome.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
My favorite career advice is to take up room. ... Using the advice of, like, taking up space, using your voice is really important. ... to make sure that your voice matters, especially as a woman.
03What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge is definitely being, you know, not everyone sees the environment the way that a scientist might. ... people not being able to see the true importance of the environment, that's always a challenge. But I do have hope. ... there are increasingly more scientists ... sharing the knowledge, share the information ... is the best way to really move the environmental sector in the right direction.
04What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
My biggest values would definitely be Sustainability, that is always first and foremost before anything. Obviously the client is our client, but my ultimate client is the environment and ensuring that all realms of the Earth, essentially, benefit and can work with humans.
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