Riding the Next Career Wave: Water@PSU

Water isn't just essential for life, it's part of the daily routines and experiences of living. Whether it's helping us make our morning cup of coffee, nurture our garden or warm up in a hot shower, water plays the supporting role in nearly everything we do.

And water doesn't act alone. Behind the scenes, the water workforce makes it all possible.

In Oregon alone, nearly 50,000 water-related jobs are expected to open in the next decade, most requiring a bachelor's or master's degree.

Water workforce professionals handle everything from resource management to water research and conservation. This includes field technicians collecting water quality data, operators managing drinking and wastewater systems and researchers running advanced hydrologic models to forecast droughts, stream flow and water availability.

The demand for their expertise is rapidly growing. In Oregon alone, nearly 50,000 water-related jobs are expected to open in the next decade, most requiring a bachelor's or master's degree.

A few years ago, PSU recognized that need and decided to step up.

This began with coursework and partnerships and then blossomed into the creation of Water@PSU, which helps undergraduate and graduate students navigate a wide range of degrees, minors and certificates related to water.

Today, the university stands as a leader in water workforce training, industry preparation and shaping the future of the field. Students gain skills to become water workforce industry employees through hands-on classes and capstones, connect with industry partners to land internships and collaborate with faculty on cutting-edge water research.

Stepping Into the Water Workforce

Mary Munt, an environmental science major and a chemistry minor, is one of the students exploring the water workforce. She hadn't planned to study water, but after a fellow student suggested she connect with Jen Morse, a PSU professor researching the biogeochemistry of Portland's urban streams and wetlands, Munt discovered her dream field.

"Before I started working with Dr. Morse, I didn't even know biogeochemistry was a field," Munt says. One field trip collecting water samples, analyzing nutrients and tracing the flow of local waterways was all it took for her to dive into the water workforce.

Today, she's leading fieldwork on projects as part of her internship at the Oregon Water Science Center (ORWSC) - an opportunity made possible by Portland State's partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS).

Mary Munt's laptop is hardwired to the USGS gage box, which houses data collection and telemetry equipment for Bethany Lake in Beaverton-an urban lake monitored for water quality and harmful algal blooms.

The partnership, known as the UPP, spans nearly two decades and is a joint program of research, education and outreach. Guided by a work group of USGS and PSU researchers and managed by PSU's Institute for Natural Resources (INR), the partnership provides clear pathways for students and researchers to tackle real-world water challenges while advancing science that benefits the entire region.

The program also gives students a chance to land their dream roles before they graduate. For Munt, a first generation and non-traditionally aged student, the internship has been exactly that.

"It's just been opportunity after opportunity to do what consistently is directly within my interests," she says. Beyond building technical skills, Munt's internship offers opportunities to expand her professional network - and launch a successful career after graduation.

For Munt her internship at ORWSC blends research, fieldwork and water quality work into an immersive experience that spans multiple aspects of the water workforce.

One of Munt's projects focuses on harmful algae blooms at an urban lake near Beaverton and despite being an intern, she's leading all of the fieldwork - from collecting water samples to maintaining sensors that measure a variety of water quality parameters such as chlorophyll and dissolved oxygen.

Bethany Lake in Beaverton

Munt finds this work especially meaningful because most existing data on algae blooms is focused on a reactive response, rather than a predictive approach. The project is one of the few focused on predicting harmful algal blooms, rather than simply responding after they occur - a proactive approach that can keep people and their pets safe and potentially save lives.

After graduation, Munt hopes to continue conducting research in the growing field of water science while inspiring communities to engage with the science behind our water systems.

Water is the lifeblood of life, and it transcends state lines. It transcends neighborhoods, transcends economic class and everything like that. We all need water. We all deserve access to water, and we all deserve access to clean swimmable and hopefully drinkable water.

Careers That Align With Values

Creating clear pathways for students to enter the water workforce isn't just about landing a job after graduation, it's also about connecting students to a profession with purpose.

"Water is the lifeblood of life, and it transcends state lines," Munt says. "It transcends neighborhoods, transcends economic class and everything like that. We all need water. We all deserve access to water, and we all deserve access to clean swimmable and hopefully drinkable water."

That same sense of purpose drives alumna Louisa Orr, who has been aligning her career in the water workforce with her values since her days at Portland State. Like Munt, Orr wanted to make a tangible difference for the environment and her community.

Orr works as a project manager and design engineer at Anchor QEA, an environmental and engineering consulting firm, where she specializes in sediment remediation and environmental cleanup while expanding into climate resiliency and sustainable, nature-based design. "Even on a rough day, I believe in the work we're doing," she says. "I'm very motivated by my own personal beliefs."

Her path started at Portland State, where she earned a degree in environmental engineering. A chemical fate and transport course - which studies how a chemical moves through the environment and what happens to it over time - ignited her desire to work in the water industry and her undergraduate honors thesis deepened her expertise in contaminant migration as she studied how harmful substances move through air, water and soil. Her professors served as mentors, while internships and a supportive peer network provided a springboard into her first jobs.

"PSU positioned me very well to just join industry," Orr says. "The fact that internships were so supported at PSU made the transition so much smoother."

That network continues to shape her career. Fellow PSU students helped her secure her first two jobs out of college, and today she pays it forward as a mentor with the Women in Environment group.

As she looks ahead, Orr remains committed to embedding sustainability into every project she touches.

"As I've gone on, I've continued to align more and more with what my values are," she says. "To me, sustainable design is an umbrella that should go over all engineering work."

For both Munt and Orr, aligning values with their career is essential. "It's worthwhile to pick a career that aligns with your values," Orr says. "That's what keeps you motivated, and it's what makes the work meaningful."

A Community Driving Oregon's Water Future

Mary Munt and Jen Morse conduct fieldwork in Astoria for a wetland greenhouse gas research project.

Through mentorship, internships and alumni networks, PSU students and graduates are working to solve real-world water challenges - essentially shaping Oregon's water future - while building connections that last long after graduation.

"We already have some great relationships with employers," says Alison Hopcroft, UPP Partnership Manager and founder of Water@PSU. "Our alumni often stay in touch with former professors throughout their careers. There are many community partners that have appreciated having PSU students as interns. Ideally we'd partner with even more employers to place more PSU students in rewarding water-focus internships."

This culture of collaboration creates more than individual success stories. It sustains a community of practice where students, graduates, faculty and professionals collaborate across organizations.

The UPP's commitment to community collaboration is evident through its partnership with Portland Community College (PCC) to launch a hydrologic technician training program - the first of its kind in Oregon - to meet the growing demand for "hydro techs" across agencies and nonprofits.

Set to formally launch in 2027, the program will create a clear pathway to water science careers - seamlessly connecting a two-year degree at PCC with a four-year degree at PSU - laying the foundation for a skilled water workforce across Oregon.

PSU's commitment to community collaboration shines with initiatives like the recent Tribal Water Webinar Series - a four-part program led by PSU's Institute for Tribal Government that educates participants on Tribal and Indigenous water issues. That same spirit continues through PSU's senior water capstone where students explore every aspect of the drinking water system in partnership with the Portland Water Bureau - from watershed protection to maintaining the 2,200 miles of pipes beneath our streets - and gain an understanding of water finance.

PSU graduates join a regional network that spans utilities, consulting firms, regulatory agencies and research institutions, connecting knowledge and experience to address pressing water challenges.

With the creation of the Water Policy and Innovation Service, Portland State is further extending its expertise into the realm of water policy.

In partnership with the National Policy Consensus Center, Southern Oregon University, Eastern Oregon University and Oregon State University, the initiative represents a natural next step for a university known for tackling real-world issues - positioning PSU as an emerging leader in shaping Oregon's approach to water policy.

Mentorship helped me see what was possible and guided me toward opportunities that aligned with my interests.

The work provides analysis of options and considerations informing policy leaders and decision-makers while giving students and faculty hands-on opportunities to contribute to impactful solutions.

Being part of PSU's network means you're never working in isolation, says Munt. There's always someone willing to advise, connect you to an opportunity or help you solve a problem in the field.

"Mentorship helped me see what was possible and guided me toward opportunities that aligned with my interests," she says.

Through structured programs, partnerships, policy engagement and informal alumni networks, PSU ensures expertise circulates across the region. This network not only helps students secure jobs but strengthens Oregon's entire water workforce, creating a resilient and collaborative ecosystem prepared to meet the estimated 50,000 water-related job openings over the next decade.