Jake Downey loved visiting museums in Chicago as a kid, so when he saw that U-M’s Natural History Museum was hiring student docents, he didn’t hesitate to apply

That was his freshman year, and Downey, a senior, has been leading tours since.

“I’ve loved learning how to communicate science to the public,” said Downey, who is double-majoring in the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts’ (LSA) ecology, evolution, and biodiversity, or EEB, plus the Program in the Environment, jointly managed between LSA and the School for Environment and Sustainability.

Downey first developed an interest in environmental science as a child, visiting a nature center near his home in Elmhurst, Illinois.

“It was a pivotal place for me growing up, and I think going there fostered my love for the environment,” he said.

That affinity for natural sciences also played a role in Downey’s decision to come to U-M.

Read the full article in the University Record.