09/01/23
FERRUM, VA, September 1, 2023 – Recent graduate and Environmental Science major Dylan Irby ‘23 is an environmental scientist at Dewberry, a specialized firm that manages and resolves environmental and sustainability challenges in Danville, VA.
Dewberry plans and navigates the complicated maze of permitting, approvals, regulations, and guidelines that are developed to conserve the planet’s beauty and resources, while working within the challenging budget and time constraints faced by their public- and private-sector clients.
After researching and hearing positive feedback from his peers, Irby decided to take his current job with Dewberry. “This position allows me to be inside and outside in the field working, which is exactly what I wanted,” Irby said.
Always wanting a job outdoors, Irby’s studies in environmental science at Ferrum helped him find many future careers before he graduated. “Because environmental science is a broad subject, it opened up many doors to careers and other environmental opportunities,” Irby shared.
After touring other colleges and universities, Irby concluded that a smaller environment, like Ferrum, would be a better option for him and chose the College after taking a tour. “The smaller class sizes and campus at Ferrum are how I knew this is where I wanted to be,” Irby explained.
As a Ferrum student, Irby supported the baseball team by attending games, making memories playing cornhole in the parking lot with friends, and attending tailgates at Homecoming. “I met some of my now life-long friends while attending Ferrum College,” Irby said.
Other memories came from Irby being part of the Smith Mountain Lake Water Quality Monitoring with Dr. Ghioca. He also thanks her, Dr. Heck, and Dr. Fredericksen for helping with challenging classes. “They were always there to help me understand coursework or answer any questions I had about future job fields I was interested in pursuing,” Irby said.
Associate Professor of Forestry and Wildlife Todd Fredericksen remembers Irby as a student who was always excited to learn something new. “Dylan was a student in many of my classes; He was always an enthusiastic and engaged student. Regardless of the course, he excelled in them all.”
Irby advises students to get to know their professors and to cherish their time at Ferrum since it’ll be over before they know it. “The years will fly by, just as mine did,” he said. For anyone wanting to go into Environmental Science, Irby advises the field can lead to many job opportunities due to its broad content. “Current and prospective students, continuously be focused and attend classes as much as possible,” he concludes.
