Megan Gallagher (BA, 2021)

Since graduating from Stony Brook University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Arts in the Environmental Humanities track of Sustainability Studies, Megan Gallagher continue to pursue her academic interests in the natural sciences through self-study and experimenting with expressive media like blog writing and filmmaking. More recently, she co-authored a literature review paper on the history and use of post-disaster funding sources that was published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction that uses research she compiled during my time as a Research Aide at Stony Brook.

Though Megan is not currently working in a field that directly relates to her degree, the Environmental Humanities curriculum helped develop her passion for wildlife and environmental activism through its interdisciplinary focus combining science and environmental history with public communication. With the ability to branch out and experience different disciplines within the environmental sciences through internships in GIS and public outreach, it ultimately allowed Megan to find her love of filmmaking with an independent documentary she co-created during my sophomore and junior years about Long Island Planner Lee Koppelman. The film premiered on September 20, 2019 and focuses on Dr. Koppelman’s legacy on Long Island, tying together the history of expansion on post-war Long Island with Dr. Koppelman’s efforts at preservation. Because of this experience, Megan is currently applying for Masters programs abroad in both wildlife filmmaking and conservation to continue to develop a skill set and pursue a career that will focus on documenting the ecosystems and biodiversity of the world.