Skip to main content
Penn State Altoona
Hotline Give Visit Apply
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Research and Engagement
    • Eiche Library
    • Learning Resources Center
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • New Student Orientation
  • Admissions & Financial Aid
    • Visit Us
    • Admissions Overview
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Tuition and Financial Aid Resources
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
  • Student Success
    • Student Affairs
    • Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness
    • Diversity at Penn State Altoona
    • Student Diversity and Inclusion Programming
    • Housing
    • Athletics
    • Career Services
    • Safety and Security
  • Information For
    • Prospective Students
    • Transfer Students
    • Current Students
    • International Students
    • Faculty & Staff
    • Alumni
    • Parents & Families
Full site navigation menu

This dialog contains the full navigation menu for this site.

Penn State Altoona
Enter the terms you wish to search for.
Search type:
Hotline Give Visit Apply
  • This is Penn State Altoona
    • Penn State Altoona At a Glance
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Our History
    • Campus Map
    • College Leadership
    • Current Weather Conditions
    • Livestream
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Out-of-class Learning
    • Eiche Library
    • Learning Resources Center
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Campus Closures
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Experience Altoona
    • Virtual Tour
  • Tuition and Financial Aid
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Grants
    • Loans
    • Work-study
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Financial Aid Information
  • Student Success
    • Center for Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness Center
    • Student Diversity and Inclusion Programming
    • International Student Services
    • Housing
    • Parking
    • Diversity at Penn State Altoona
    • Police and Safety
    • Career Services
  • Research and Engagement
    • Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
    • Faculty Research Resources
    • Community-Based Studies
    • Internships
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
    • Internal Grants and Awards
  • Athletics
    • Schedule
    • Facilities
    • Recreation and Club Sports
    • Staff and Coaches Directory
    • Athletic Training and Sports Physicals
    • Athletics News
    • Camps and Clinics
    • Hall of Fame

Find Information For:

  • Prospective Students
  • Transfer Students
  • Current Students
  • International Students
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Alumni
  • Parents & Families

Helpful Links

  • Campus Map
  • Academic Calendar
  • Campus Calendar
  • Faculty & Staff Directory
  • Offices and Divisions
  • Employment Opportunities

Connect With Us

  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • flickr
  • linkedin
  1. Home
  2. Academics
  3. Bachelor's Degrees
  4. Environmental Studies
  5. Alumni Success Stories

Courtney Bailey, '12

Courtney Bailey with a self-driving Uber vehicle

From small island adventure kid to a manager at Uber’s Advanced Technology Center, Courtney Bailey, ‘12 shares her passion for learning and how it landed her in the career field of self-driving cars!

Courtney Bailey grew up on a small island in the Susquehanna River and spent her days as an adventure kid, exploring with friends. If that isn’t a dream childhood for all our environmental studies alumni, then I don’t know what is.

For as long as she can remember, Bailey loved being outside. By the time she entered high school, she enrolled in every environmental studies and biology class she could get her hands on. In fact, for years when she was younger, she had always seen herself as a marine biologist. Though biology worked out as an eventual minor, ultimately environmental studies would be her path. She knew she wanted the best opportunity at a multi-faceted degree to position her well in the environmental field, and one that wouldn’t tie her to one single specialty.

Fast forward to today, Bailey has been working for Uber’s Advanced Technologies Group for over four years. As Project Specialist on the Machine Teaching and Interactive Learning Team, she is responsible for managing a small group of individuals whose focus is workflow, policy, and quality for their data analysis tooling; all to advance self-driving technology. But how in the world did she get from a B.A. in environmental studies with a minor in biology to working with Uber’s self-driving technology?

Bailey’s path wasn’t an overnight success story. However, she took every opportunity and used her time effectively to position herself to where she wanted to be. While at Penn State Altoona, she interned with Katrina Pope at the Intermunicipal Relations Committee (IRC), where she focused on providing educational opportunities and resources for recycling and composting programs in Blair County. Upon graduation, she spent some time with fellow alum Colin Lennox (‘09) at EcoIslands LLC. Their work focused on bioremediation and, more specifically, acid mine drainage reclamation. About a year after graduation, she decided to relocate to Pittsburgh. And after sending out 42 resumes, she landed a position with RedZone Robotics. RedZone is hired by cities to operate drone robots that map out the infrastructure of sewer systems; this provides the city with a comprehensive quality assessment of their pipes and helps plan preventative maintenance. Bailey’s two years at RedZone were spent as an environmental analyst in their reporting department using software that analyzed LiDAR, CCTV, laser and sonar data.

It was after two years with RedZone that Bailey became aware that Uber was opening up a technology center across the hall from her office. But because Uber was being incredibly secretive, Bailey began networking with others in the building to see if there might be a position for her. Those connections landed her on the machine teaching team that processes the data collected from Uber’s self-driving vehicles. Mastering that software, she became the head of training for the following two years. Now this past year, she’s become a manager with four direct reports where her main priority is to create policies and workflows for new tool features as well as ensuring quality data produced for internal consumers.

When reflecting on her experience in the environmental studies program, Bailey admits it's hard to pick a favorite course or memory. But ultimately shares that her favorite course was ENVST 100. It was her very first semester in college and the bonds she made immediately impacted her growth and learning for the four and a half years to follow. She still holds contact with many of those fellow alumni today. This course also led her to her adviser, Carolyn Mahan, who Bailey credits for helping her make it through her undergraduate studies. Lastly, the Chesapeake Bay trip and spending time at the Smith Island Environmental Education Center, learning about the Bay health is one of her best memories. Speaking fondly of “oysters, eating 7-layer cake, having distance mudslide competitions, kayaking, sitting around the campfire and laughing until our stomachs hurt.”

When asked what piece of advice she would give to another student currently going through the program, “Never stop learning! Your degree will open you up to a world full of possibilities that you may not have even known existed (kind of like self-driving vehicles)!”

Written by Erin Nachtman, ‘10

Environmental Studies

  • Request Information about Environmental Studies
  • Degree Options
    • Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies
    • Bachelor of Science in Environmental Studies
  • Suggested Academic Plans
  • Environmental Studies Minor
  • Seminar Forest
  • Spring 2023 Courses in Environmental Studies
  • Student Learning, Field, and Research Experiences
    • Service Learning Projects
  • Career Opportunities
  • Connect with Alumni
    • Stay Connected
    • Get Involved
  • Alumni Success Stories
    • Courtney Bailey, '12
    • Dylan Dando, '14
    • Chelsea Burket
    • Chastity Bey
    • Garrett Harris
    • Jake Vaughn
    • Tyler Werner
    • Alex Patton
  • Faculty and Staff
Apply to Penn State
Apply to Penn State
Visit Us In-person or Virtually
Schedule a Visit

Notes from the Allegheny Front

An audio blog by Professor Todd Davis focussing on his ecological observations and experiences in the forests and on the streams of central Pennsylvania

Listen Now

Out-of-Class Learning

Explore out-of-classroom academic experiences that complement in-class learning, including study abroad/study away programs, internships, undergraduate research, and community-based studies.

Find Out More
Environmental Studies at Penn State Altoona

Penn State Altoona students awarded Student Engagement Network grants

See Also

  • Sustainability Council
  • Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences
Pennsylvania map showing Penn State's campuses with Penn State Altoona highlighted

Penn State Altoona

A full-service, four-year, residential campus located less than 45 miles from the research campus at University Park. Offering 21 four-year degrees and the first two years of over 275 Penn State majors.
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • instagram
  • youtube
  • flickr
  • linkedin
Give Visit Apply
  • This is Penn State Altoona
    • Penn State Altoona At a Glance
    • Mission, Vision, and Values
    • Our History
    • Campus Map
    • College Leadership
    • Current Weather Conditions
    • Livestream
  • Academics
    • Majors
    • Academic Calendar
    • Out-of-Class Learning
    • Eiche Library
    • Learning Resources Center
    • Registrar
    • Academic Advising
    • Honors Program
    • Campus Closures
  • Admissions
    • Visit Us
    • Information for First-Year Students
    • How to Apply
    • Accepted Students
    • Experience Altoona
    • Virtual Tour
  • Tuition & Financial Aid
    • Scholarships and Awards
    • Grants
    • Loans
    • Work-study
    • Financial Aid Basics
    • Tuition and Costs
    • Financial Aid Information
  • Student Success
    • Center for Student and Civic Engagement
    • Health and Wellness Center
    • Student Diversity and Inclusion Programming
    • International Student Services
    • Housing
    • Parking
    • Police and Safety
    • Career Services
    • Diversity at Penn State Altoona
  • Research & Engagement
    • Undergraduate Research and Creative Inquiry
    • Faculty Research Resources
    • Community-Based Studies
    • Internships
    • Study Abroad/Study Away
    • Internal Grants and Awards
  • Athletics
    • Schedule
    • Facilities
    • Recreation and Club Sports
    • Staff and Coaches Directory
    • Athletic Training and Sports Physicals
    • Athletics News
    • Camps and Clinics
    • Hall of Fame
  • Stay Connected
    • Faculty and Staff Directory
    • Offices and Divisions
    • Campus Calendar
    • PSUAlert Text Messaging Service
    • COVID-19 Information
    • Penn State Altoona Connect
    • Penn State Student Engagement Network
Penn State University
3000 Ivyside Park, Altoona, Pennsylvania 16601 814-949-5000

Footer Legal Menu

  • Privacy
  • Non-discrimination
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Accessibility
  • Copyright
  • Directory
  • The Pennsylvania State University © 2023
  • We Are Penn State