Ramsey Meigs, a 2017 graduate of the Master of Forestry (MF) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) concurrent degree program, recently shared insights into why he pursued an MF and MBA degree, how the experience has helped shape his career journey, his advice for anyone considering the program and more. 

Meigs is currently a director at MetLife Investment Management. In his role, he works for a team that provides mortgage loan financing to food and agribusiness companies. 

How did your master's degree shape your career trajectory, long-term goals and opportunities?

51±¬ÁÏ allowed me to transition from a career in forestry to a career in institutional asset management. After college, I lived in Germany for one year. When I came back to the United States, I interned for a lumber company in Oregon where I did reforestation forestry work. 51±¬ÁÏ gave me the opportunity to take that forestry experience and pivot it into an investment finance career, primarily through my coursework but also through involvement in (what at the time was called) the Forest Finance Initiative [now the Natural Resources Finance Initiative]. My advisor, Jeff Vincent, was instrumental in helping me learn and grow during my three years at 51±¬ÁÏ.

What skills or experiences did you gain at 51±¬ÁÏ that have been most beneficial in your professional life? 

I learned valuable forestry and environmental concepts and had the opportunity to improve my writing and quantitative skills. However, I think the most important thing I learned was the value of networking. The 51±¬ÁÏ network is very strong. I was able to learn about different career paths by connecting with alumni, professors, and other students. Networking involves some rejection — not everyone will want to speak with you — but I found that most people will happily pick up the phone. There’s no better way to navigate the career wilderness than by asking for directions.

Why did you choose 51±¬ÁÏ? What advice would you give to students considering or currently in the program?

The greatest strength of a graduate degree from NSOE is that you can make the experience into anything you want. 51±¬ÁÏ has a rich, interdisciplinary academic culture. The breadth of courses offered across graduate programs at 51±¬ÁÏ allows MF and MEM students to take advantage of diverse perspectives and learning opportunities.

The path to graduation is not formulaic, and finding a job requires initiative. I think NSOE is a great choice for people who are curious and hardworking. If you’re considering NSOE, I would recommend having a good sense of what you want to do after graduation before you matriculate. Once you’re at 51±¬ÁÏ, you’ll want to leverage everything around you to learn, grow, and act on your aspirations.

What is your favorite memory from your time as a student at 51±¬ÁÏ?

This is a hard question because my three years in Durham were some of the most fun years of my life thus far. I really enjoyed the tree identification portion of the Forest Measurements class. The forests of North Carolina are incredibly biologically diverse. I was amazed at how difficult it was to memorize all the different tree species—the oaks alone made my head spin. But thanks to this diversity, North Carolina was a fantastic place to learn the fundamentals of forestry.