June 29, 2026
Joylyn Yu '26 came to the University of Chicago as a licensed forester from the Philippines. Her motivation for the field came partly from where she grew up — a country highly affected by climate change, where she lived through typhoons. That experience pushed her toward forestry as an undergraduate. After completing her degree, she earned her forester license in her home country. But by the time she finished studying for that exam, she knew forestry alone wasn't enough.
"I really love forestry, and it plays a pivotal role in society, but I want to expand my knowledge and skills, especially on climate risk, and to truly understand what good data is, and how to build effective climate models.”
These questions led her to the MS in Environmental Science at the University of Chicago.
Why a Forester Chose a Data-Focused Master's
Joylyn came to the MS in Environmental Science looking for something specific: technical depth. She had the ecological foundation already. What she wanted was the analytical toolkit to back it up.
"With how the world is evolving, knowing regulation and scientific concepts is very important, but you also need the skills to back these up. If I have these technical skills, I can easily adapt and apply them to new information later on," says Joylyn.
UChicago's heavy emphasis on environmental data science and the program’s flexibility were what drew her to the program. Because the master's is relatively new, students like Joylyn have real input into how it develops — something she values, given how quickly the field outside the university is changing.
She adds, "It's hard when you go into a program that's set in its ways and doesn't adapt, especially with how things are changing right now outside of universities."
Narrowing a Broad Passion Into a Specific Focus — With Help from Alumni
Joylyn arrived knowing she wanted to work in sustainability, but that's a wide field. Fortunately, the program helped her find a specific direction within it: climate risk.
The shift happened through a mix of technical coursework and exposure to people working in the field. In her core environmental data science classes, she went beyond a surface-level understanding of concepts like climate change and the carbon cycle to the data, models, and quantitative reasoning behind them.
Last quarter, she built two different models to predict temperature for a final project. This quarter, her capstone focuses on AI weather modeling, specifically, precipitation and greening in Ethiopia.
The program also brings alumni back to talk with current students. One of those conversations changed how Joylyn thought about her career.
"I actually spoke with an alumnus who was working in catastrophe modeling for insurance companies, and that helped me better understand what different companies are actually doing in climate risk. I never knew about that before the program," says Joylyn.
Faculty have been part of the inspiration, too. Her environmental data science professor was pivotal in her first two quarters, both for the way he taught (flexibly and by accommodating students with very different coding backgrounds) and for helping her find her niche.
"Even though he doesn't work per se in climate risk, he has a broad understanding of environmental science. Talking to him about the topics I’m passionate about and what I want to do next in my career was really pivotal,” says Joylyn, adding that he also helped her trust her own technical abilities. "I don't always feel that confident in my math skills. Speaking with him really inspired me to improve, and he always provides great resources, so I never felt too intimidated."
By the time she's done, Joylyn wants to go after roles in sustainability analytics or climate risk consulting, ideally at companies focused on decarbonization or community adaptation to climate impacts.
Where Forestry Meets Oceans Meets Atmospheres
One of the unexpected benefits of UChicago's program has been its interdisciplinary nature. The Environmental Science Master's program allows students to take any course in the Geophysical Sciences Department, as well as electives outside the department, and its faculty come from a range of backgrounds.
Joylyn, who came in thinking about forests as carbon sinks, found herself in conversations with professors whose backgrounds were in oceanography.
"That made me curious about oceanography and how it actually impacts the climate. My background is in forestry, and I'm really interested in forests as a carbon sink, but seeing how the ocean is a huge carbon sink inspired me to open up my horizons on what environmental science is and how many things are in it."
Her cohort has expanded her thinking in similar ways. Classmates come from chemistry, business, English, and beyond. Some are fresh out of undergrad. Others bring years of work experience. The mix shapes how seminar discussions unfold and how Joylyn engages with the course material.
"Talking with them and hearing why they want to pursue environmental science and how it relates to their own field has been really inspiring," adds Joylyn.
Joylyn on Being an International Student in Chicago
Joylyn explicitly wanted to highlight her experience as an international student, particularly given current concerns some prospective international students may have about coming to the US.
Her experience at UChicago and in Chicago has been the opposite of what those concerns might suggest.
"My cohort and my community here have made it feel like a very safe and welcoming space. The lessons and experiences I’ve gained have been life-changing. I think people shouldn't feel deterred."
Chicago itself has been part of that. Joylyn loves how accessible the city is. The lakefront is close, and public transportation connects the campus to downtown and other neighborhoods. She's also tapped into the city's climate scene through networking events, including collaborations between UChicago and Northwestern that bring together students and faculty across institutions.
She's also been actively involved in two boards on campus: the Women and Gender Minorities in Graduate Science (WIGS+) board and the International Graduate Student Advisory board (IGSAB). Promoting events, hosting them, and meeting other students have been part of how she's found her community.
For students considering the program, Joylyn’s advice reflects all of this.
"Look into the department and contact professors. See what you can do outside of the program. Being in the university ecosystem means you can reach out to people doing things you didn't even know were happening."
Explore University of Chicago’s MS in Environmental Science.