Alumni Spotlight: Camille Salters, Associate Principal Owner, Pickering Firm, Inc.

Camille Salters, Associate Principal Owner, Pickering Firm, Inc.

Degree: M.S. Environmental Sciences, 2013

Hometown: Jackson, Mississippi

The LSU College of the Coast & Environment, or CC&E, is equipping graduates with the multidisciplinary tools needed to transform them into an impressive array of coastal workforce leaders. This June, Camille Salters (nee Golden), who earned her master’s in environmental sciences in 2013, was promoted to Associate Principal Owner of Pickering Firm, Inc., a full discipline firm that specializes in facility design, civil engineering, surveying, transportation, and natural/water resources.

Salters attributes much of her success to the education and experiences she received at LSU. “This specific program seemed like exactly what I was looking for. My undergraduate degree is in geology, but I always wanted to go into consulting and I felt like a master's in environmental sciences would help round me out a little and provide me with a larger view of environmental consulting. So, the program is really attractive,” she said.

Salters studied under her major professor, Margaret Reams, who specializes in environmental policy, management, resilience, and sustainability—all of which applies directly to her work at Pickering. “We are an engineering firm that does big transportation projects, and part of that involves going through the NEPA [National Environmental Policy Act] process. We have to look at environmental justice, public involvement, and all sorts of aspects under NEPA regulations, and I learned all of that from LSU, so it's been really helpful.”

Beyond the research and educational opportunities students receive from our faculty, students participate in student-driven clubs and organizations—where Salters developed essential leadership skills that she has carried with her into her new role at Pickering. During her time in CC&E, she joined the Coast and Environment Graduate Organization, or CEGO, and is still learning and growing from that experience today. CEGO hosts research-oriented seminars throughout the spring and fall semesters that have provided value to Salters beyond her college career.

“Sometimes the seminar is a topic that I think is just perfect for something that we're working on at Pickering, and I’ll send it to our group and say, ‘You know, I think we should sit in on this.’ We have a little lunch and learn,” she said. “Luckily, I have a boss who's a really great mentor and he liked what I was doing.” According to Salters, taking the initiative to orchestrate these “Lunch and Learns”—as well as other group meetings and management—with her team in Flowood, Mississippi, is part of what led to her promotion. 

Our alumni are among the most accomplished leaders in their fields, and degrees from the College of the Coast & Environment are what enable them to make informed decisions about conservation, management, protection, and development of coastal and environmental assets.