Hannah Anderson joined the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS), a division of the Prairie Research Institute (PRI) as an environmental data specialist. In this role, she’s embedded in the Illinois Department of Transportation’s (IDOT) Central Office in Springfield, Illinois, where she collaborates with multiple environmental units to ensure sustainable practices are integral to transportation projects. With a B.A. in Environmental Studies and an M.S. in Environmental Science focusing on Sustainable Development and Policy from the University of Illinois Springfield, Hannah brings a unique perspective to environmental science in transportation.
Q&A with Hannah Anderson
Q: What is your background before coming to work at the Illinois Natural History Survey (INHS)?
A: During undergrad, my background leaned more toward English, but transferring to UIS sparked my interest in environmental policy writing. My internship at IDOT introduced me to environmental databases and gave me the opportunity to write environmental justice policies.
Q: What are you looking forward to the most in your new role at INHS?
A: My role at INHS lets me work with different environmental units at IDOT and other agencies across the state. This means there’s always something new to learn, which keeps the work exciting.
Q: How old were you when you first became interested in science? What sparked your interest?
A: I’ve been fascinated by the environment since I was a kid. Watching disaster movies with my dad sparked my curiosity about how we affect the environment and how it affects us in return.
Q: Who or what drew you to study environmental transportation?
A: I didn’t know much about this field until my internship at IDOT through the Graduate Public Service Internship (GPSI) program. There, I quickly realized how much environmental consideration goes into every transportation project in the state.
Q: What are common misconceptions about your career?
A: Most people don’t realize how intertwined environmental science is with transportation. When a transportation project is just an idea, we already have to plan how to minimize its environmental impact.
Q: What are some challenges you’ve faced in your career?
A: Covid-19 disrupted everything right when I was starting my career in environmental science. Adjusting to those changes while learning the ropes was definitely a challenge.
Q: What do you wish more people understood about science or being a scientist?
A: Environmental science isn’t just about fieldwork. Office work is just as critical, and those of us in the office rely on the work of field scientists, and vice versa.
Q: What advice would you give to future scientists?
A: Try out different scientific fields. You may discover something you love—or something you don’t—but you’ll never know if you don’t give it a shot.