Published: Nov. 20, 2023 By

Meg Parker in front of an alpine lake.While working at a water nonprofit, Meg Parker found her passion for engineering and decided to pursue a master's degree.

Parker, armed with a BS degree in environmental science from Cornell University, discovered the perfect match in CU Boulder’s Water Engineering and Management Professional Master's Program (WE&M PMP). Motivated by its water and engineering focus coupled with the opportunity to prepare for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam — the first step towards achieving professional engineering licensure in the United States — Parker obtained her MS in civil engineering through CU Boulder's WE&M PMP program in December 2019.

“It checked all my boxes,” said Parker, who added she completed the program in a year and a half and then immediately launched her engineering career.

Parker described the industry professional speakers as “phenomenal” and said they played a pivotal role in her securing an engineering position in a wastewater utility. 

“I really can’t speak highly enough about Professor (Richard) Kuchenrither and the program,” said Parker, who still connects with Kuchenrither and some of the professional speakers through industry events. “It was the perfect opportunity.”

Parker spent 3.5 years post-graduation working for a wastewater utility. This past summer she transitioned to an engineering role at Carollo, a water engineering firm in Denver.

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