Bachelor of Arts, Geography, Minor in International Development Studies • McGill University
Bio
Lauren completed her undergraduate degree at McGill University, graduating with First Class Honours from the Geography (Hons) class of 2021. During her degree, she was able to gain a comprehensive understanding of issues of sustainability; from the environmental processes and the threats to them discussed in her physical geography classes, to the socioeconomic disparities outlined in her human and urban geography classes. She became interested in how the three main pillars of sustainability – environmental, social, and economic – could be promoted through the work of her future career. This interest, accelerated by an elective called the Social Context of Business, led to a drive to pursue a career in corporate social responsibility and implementing sustainable practices and policies in the corporate world.
While at university, Lauren was hired as the Sustainability Commissioner at the Students’ Society of McGill’s University. This allowed her to understand how sustainability can be realized not just at the university level, but at the broader community level through projects fostering environmental well-being and social engagement. In addition to supporting community projects, Lauren was given the opportunity to spearhead her own initiative by creating and facilitating an online sustainability course for McGill students. Since her graduation, Lauren has gained experience in the corporate world by working at Nutritower Inc., a company producing hydroponic gardening towers. This experience helped Lauren gain marketing experience at a business with a sustainable mission to provide locally-grown food, reduce dependence on large-scale agriculture, and increase food security in remote Northern communities. Additionally, Lauren took on a communications role later in the summer to promote projects that foster community interdependence and global sustainability. Making science, sustainability, and action accessible is extremely important to Lauren, and she is glad to be able to contribute to this through her work.
Lauren is interested in sustainable lifestyles and individual-level changes to help the planet as well. One way Lauren tries to reduce her carbon footprint is by experimenting with vegan cooking and baking and reducing food waste in her recipes. She also enjoys thrift shopping and trying eco-conscious brands to support companies aiming to increase conscious consumerism. Lauren enjoys spending time in nature, whether that is hiking a trail or enjoying urban parks, as well as doing yoga and kayaking. She is also an avid reader and enjoys analyzing and discussing what she reads by taking part in book clubs.
Lauren's MScSM Internship: ClearBlue Markets
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Lauren's Research Poster
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