Georgetown MS-ESM Class of 2024 Reports Increase in Female Representation

The MS-ESM Class of 2024, which is the second cohort of the 11-month interdisciplinary program at Georgetown, consists of a diverse range of students who hail from various professional backgrounds, areas of academic interest, and regions of the world.

Of the 53-person cohort, 80% of students self-identify as female, which is the highest level of female representation across all of McDonough’s graduate degree programs. This is the second year in a row the program has surpassed gender parity – last year’s inaugural cohort was 60% female.

Kerrie Carfagno, co-academic director of the MS-ESM program, is proud of the growing number of women enrolled in the program. She said it’s important to see women who are working in the environmental and sustainability fields as leaders in the business world.

“This is a really exciting time for the MS-ESM program,” said Carfagno. “We are pleased to welcome a diverse group of individuals who are looking to create long lasting positive change in corporate, governmental, nonprofit sectors, and beyond. Having more women in business is always a win, especially when it comes to leading the charge on environmental decisions that will impact our world for generations to come.”

With an average age of 25, the incoming MS-ESM class represents 15% underrepresented minorities, 26% international students across 10 countries, and brings an average of more than two years of prior work experience to the program. The average GPA of students in the MS-ESM Class of 2024 is a 3.55.

Students previously studied a range of business and environmental subjects before joining the program, including environmental science, international business and visual arts, commerce, marketing, global affairs, and sociology, among others.

“We are thrilled to have such a talented group of students in the MS-ESM Class of 2024,” said Shelly Heinrich, associate dean and managing director for MBA Admissions and executive director of program marketing. “Each member of the cohort brings a unique educational perspective and a wealth of knowledge from their previous institutions and places of work. I am excited to see all that they will continue to accomplish while at Georgetown.”

Meet a few students from the MS-ESM Class of 2024: 

Sadeen Alhalabi

Sadeen Alhalabi is a passionate advocate for sustainability and a Saudi Arabian citizen raised in Amman, Jordan. She recently graduated from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, majoring in sustainable design with a minor in art and design. Her approach to design focuses on addressing the climate crisis as a humanitarian issue, with a strong emphasis on collaborating with nature to enhance the well-being of people and the planet. Alhalabi aspires to become a sustainability consultant, working to integrate sustainable practices into businesses and corporations and to learn from and support vulnerable communities affected by climate change. In the long run, she aims to establish herself as a leader in sustainability management and bring her expertise back to the Middle East to promote sustainable development in the region.

Ricardo Pereira Teixeira

Ricardo Pereira Teixeira has been actively involved in working toward climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies for the past five years. He finds work satisfaction by bridging human security with economic development and working tightly with globally oriented peers. Pereira Teixeira is fluent in Spanish, English, and Dutch. Coming from an academic background in international studies and security studies at Leiden University in the Netherlands, Pereira Teixeira explored how the private and public sectors can cooperate towards boosting the renewable-energy economy.

Pereira Teixeira has work experience in consulting on strategic matters of the Dutch and European economies at The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies, as well as his role as a financial consultant at Algemeen Pension Group, the pension fund for the Dutch public and education sectors.

Demetra Dandolos

Demetra Dandolos was born and raised in Athens, Greece. She graduated summa cum laude from George Washington University where she also served as co-captain of the equestrian team. Her passion for the environment is highlighted by her lifelong commitment to horse riding and her interest in astrophysics and yoga. For the past two years, Dandolos has progressed her career in project management with a focus in asset allocation and preservation. The diversity of the MS-ESM cohort and the space it creates for cross-cultural discussion and a creative flow of ideas, while adopting an interdisciplinary approach, are what drew her to the program. Following her MS-ESM graduation, she aims to gain experience in the field of sustainable tourism so she can pave the way toward a more sustainable future in her home country of Greece.

Michael Yang

Michael Yang was born in Guangzhou, China, and went to high school in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from New York University. After graduating from NYU, Michael began working for his family’s fish feed manufacturing business, where he faced new managerial challenges beyond what he learned in college. 

Over the past 16 months, he has worked in various roles and was an associate in the environmental, social, and governance (ESG) department at his family’s business, overseeing high-impact sustainability projects. His short-term goal is to work at an ESG consulting firm that is specifically related to environmental and sustainability considerations. Ultimately, he plans to improve sustainability and corporate management in his family business.