Geology alum finds a rewarding career in environmental consulting

Lauren Dolginko, MS ’14, never quite knows what a day will bring, and that’s how she likes it.

A senior geologist with the environmental consulting firm Roux, she finds herself working with a wide array of people, from contractors and environmental agencies to real estate developers, each with their different goals and priorities. Projects may range from affordable housing to warehouses, but all are built on the Earth — and that requires a knowledge of bedrock, soil and the potential for pollution.

“Being able to come together and complete a project is very rewarding,” said the Binghamton University alumna, who earned her master’s degree in geology in 2014.

Originally from Long Island, Dolginko completed her undergraduate degree in geology at SUNY Oneonta before choosing Binghamton for her next step. The range and quality of Binghamton’s Earth Sciences research stood out to her, and the fact that both graduate and undergraduate students participate meaningfully in research projects.

“I was blown away by what everybody was capable of, and what the whole department could do year after year,” she said. 

Like many geologists, Dolginko was originally drawn to the discipline because of its connection to nature and the outdoors. But lab science is also part of the equation; at Binghamton, she completed a thesis on fluid inclusions in halite crystals, working with her advisor, Distinguished Professor Tim Lowenstein.

“He is just a fantastic professor — the way that he explains things and inspires people to want to learn more,” she said. 

Lowenstein also played a role in her transition into the post-Commencement workforce. Learning that she wanted to return to the New York City area, he put her in touch with another alum, Roux President and CEO Sin Senh ’97, MA’05. In 2016, Senh founded the Roux Scholarship in Geology, which supports one master’s student in the program each year. 

Dolginko began her career as a field geologist, conducting site assessments throughout New York City for pollution and overseeing remediation projects. Since then, she has progressed to project management, dealing directly with clients, who are typically real estate developers.

“It went pretty fast,” she said of the 12 years she has spent at Roux. “Time flies when you’re having fun.”

Clients often reach out when they’re interested in redeveloping a property; Dolginko researches its history and the likelihood of potential environmental contamination. The next step is a site investigation, in which geologists collect soil, groundwater and vapor samples. Depending on the results of the analysis, the firm then develops a remediation plan so that the new building can be constructed safely.

“A lot of the time, the remediation and the redevelopment of the property go hand in hand,” she explained. “We make sure that it’s in accordance with all the local and federal regulations, so that everyone who occupies that building in the future is safe.”

Dolginko enjoys working with her team at Roux, many of whom join the firm straight out of college — just like she did. In fact, she has returned to Binghamton every fall over the past 10 years to recruit for the company.  

Her message to Earth Sciences students: There’s a wider range of careers available to you than you may realize. Dolginko didn’t learn about environmental consulting herself until late in her academic career, she said. 

“It’s a whole new world, applying everything I learned in school to a more urban setting,” she said. “But we still apply the same principles.”