“It was pretty cool to see,” Kurtz said. “It was interesting because it was a rare behavior to document — one individual who lost a nest continuing to feed young across different species.”

After graduating from UD, Kurtz spent summer 2008 as a field technician for a swamp and seaside sparrow study; he lived on a farm outside of Dover and studied the two species’ reproductive capabilities.

During that study, a light bulb went on. Kurtz felt the pull of environmental policy. At the time, Kurtz said, a lot of people were still denying climate change — it wasn’t as well understood as it is today. 

“But what we saw during the study was with the height at which those seaside sparrows nested, with sea level rise and then the loss of marshes, we saw significant loss of habitat,” Kurtz said. “And I became really interested in the processes that contributed to climate change, whether they be policy- or economic-related.” 

Kurtz had graduate school in his mind, but first he wanted policy experience. He ultimately landed an internship with the nonprofit The Wildlife Society doing policy work.  

“I realized I liked taking science, interpreting it and turning it into policy and into regulation,” Kurtz said, “and building people into that kind of analysis when we think about habitats and we think about the long-term success of different species.” 

Kurtz didn’t end up pursuing an advanced degree in ornithology. Instead, he received a master’s degree in public policy from George Mason University and went on to do advocacy work for The Nature Conservancy and lead the Chesapeake Bay Foundation. At The Nature Conservancy, he started in a program role and moved into leading the government relations and policy team at the Maryland/D.C. chapter. At the Chesapeake Bay Foundation, he worked to help Maryland reduce water pollution as part of the 2025 Chesapeake Clean Water Blueprint.

Although his focus has been on environmental policy and advocacy, Kurtz still loves birds. He even has a poster of all the birds in North America hanging up in his home. 

Kurtz credits UD for preparing him for a career in environmental science and policy.

“It gave me those building blocks to be able to understand and read the science and then interpret it into policies that would either impact the species we cared about, or the habitats that those species needed,” he said.

UD’s Greg Shriver wrote Kurtz’s letter of recommendation for The Wildlife Society internship, setting the alumnus on a career path to environmental policy and advocacy. Shriver said he is impressed with Kurtz’ career and impact.

“He was a great student — very engaged,” Shriver said. “He was one of those students who you knew was going to go places.”

UD’s Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology was small at the time Kurtz was in school, Shriver said. Shortly after Kurtz transferred into UD, he went to a dinner at Shriver’s home with other undergraduate and graduate students. Kurtz remembers that night as the night he made a bunch of friends.

Even as an undergraduate, Kurtz was professional and a true problem-solver — qualities Kurtz employs in his current cabinet position. Kurtz would tell Shriver when he saw an issue in the field during the wood thrush study, and would ask him if the way he resolved it was okay.

“It’s nice when you have people that can identify a problem, think of some solutions, and then actually implement those solutions,” Shriver said. “That really shows initiative.”

Today, as Maryland’s Department of Natural Resources Secretary, Kurtz is focused on data analysis and including it in decision-making, especially when it comes to making policy decisions about the Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the U.S. 

The Chesapeake Bay includes parts of Maryland, Delaware, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York. It is a hub of commercial fishing and recreation. However, the bay has been dealing with water quality issues because of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution that originates mostly from fertilizing farms, lawns and gardens.

Kurtz is at the forefront of making decisions about spending money to restore the Chesapeake Bay. His ability to understand the science allows him to make evidence-based decisions to clean up the watershed. When his department is making state investments in the bay, staff are thinking about how the bay fits into the region.

“We’re in an area of the country that has very diverse ecosystems from the Eastern Shore to the mountains in Western Maryland,” Kurtz said. “It’s important to understand how the hydrology works in those spaces so that we're making sure we're planning the right things. We’re making sure that when we're investing in trails, we’re making them in places that they’re going to be sustainable, they're going to persist, and people can access them.”

In his first year as natural resources secretary, Kurtz is proud of the emphasis he and the agency have put on the importance of science and data collection. They’ve ensured they have the funds to survey streams and rivers across the state to look at their ecological health and the diversity of the animals and plants that live there. 

Kurtz and other top scientists in the department traveled around the state last fall to highlight fisheries management, flood mitigation, and other important science. The department is looking at expanding water quality monitoring across Maryland. 

“Something that I’m most proud of is being able to be part of a team that’s really empowering scientists,” Kurtz said. 

UD and his career in environmental advocacy have taught him to show up and connect with the public. He’ll often share environmental data with people, but he’ll also work to make sure they understand the narrative. 

“If you can’t connect those data points and that narrative to something that resonates with a person, it’s not going to matter,” Kurtz said. “I think how we communicate science and being more effective at it is something I think we’ve become much better at, and I’m really proud of.” 

Working for a wildlife agency or nonprofit is a common career for Blue Hens in the Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology. And Kurtz has some advice for anyone who wants to explore a career in this field.

“Build networks and be active in the community,” he said. 

And, Kurtz said, look for internships and volunteer opportunities that bring you closer to what you’re passionate about.

“Any job you have is going to be hard at times,” Kurtz said. “I know this is super cliche, but if you love what you do it's a lot easier to kind of lean into the harder parts. So make sure that when you're studying things in school, and when you're working toward a career, it's something that you really enjoy doing.”