Name: Michael Muoio
Hometown: Cary, NC
High School: Green Hope High School
Major(s)/Minor(s): B.S. Environmental Science: Concentration in Renewable Energy, Business Minor, Chemistry Minor
Expected Graduation: 2017
University highlights, achievements, awards: Dean’s List, 2015 NextEra Energy Resources Fellow, 2015 National Champion (Men’s Club Soccer)

I chose to attend UNC because…
I was born in Chapel Hill, and I’ve been a Tar Heel my whole life – so I’m a huge UNC basketball fan. But besides sports, UNC also has a beautiful campus, amazing faculty, great nightlife, diverse people and a top business school, so it was a pretty easy decision in the end.

I became an environmental science major because…
Well my studies focus mainly on energy and clean technology, and I made that decision after learning about some pretty significant trends in the energy industry. There’s a great deal of capital being poured into clean-tech start-ups and technologies (think solar PV, storage, wind energy, electrochromic glass, etc.) right now, and the economics of these technologies are changing quickly. There’s also an interesting interplay between science & technology, business & finance and government policies, which make it a very dynamic and fast-paced industry to work in right now. Environmental studies may have a little bit of an altruistic connotation to it, but many people don’t realize the exciting technologies and business opportunities in the space too – plus the end goal is pretty important.

After I graduate I want to…
Hopefully I’ll be able to travel a bit, but I’d like to find a company that’s working on something exciting and impactful. In the short term, I’m considering energy consulting at a firm like McKinsey/BCG/Bain/etc. That seems like a great opportunity to meet some smart people, travel across the country and work on some pretty complex problems, but I’m keeping my options open. There are a few start-ups out there that I’d be interested in joining as well, so I guess I’ll just wait and see what kind of opportunities are out there when the time comes.

My favorite place to study at UNC is…
Probably anywhere in the Student Union. I live off free coffee refills and triple clubs at Alpine, so I try not to stray too far from there.

What I like to do in my free time…
Outside of school and work, I like hanging with friends, playing club soccer, basketball, fishing, golf, Netflix and a little bit of reading.