You may have noticed while reading the Students Corner that we have welcomed two new student interns. We are exciting to introduce Patricia and Michaela who are here with us for the summer!
Patricia Van Valkenburgh (pictured right in above photo) is working with us as a sustainability assistant and also taking on a summer research project through the college sustainability internship program. Her research project is focused on improving the fleet of the Courier Services department. She is exploring various ways to make the fleet more sustainable, including fuel efficient vehicle options and increasing route efficiency by reducing the distance traveled. In the Recycling and Sustainability office she is doing everything from making sure our recycling bins on campus our properly labeled to exploring new opportunities for re-purposing materials that are currently sent to the landfill. As the EcoReps Director, Patricia she is launching a new Super EcoReps program to expand the initiative to upper-classman residential areas.
Michaela Burrell (pictured left in above photo) is the marketing/writing intern for the summer. In this role, she writes Go Green articles and Sustainability Tips, helps to manage our Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts, and works to promote awareness of sustainable initiatives on campus in various ways. It is a very important role which is actually split into two different jobs during the academic year. Michaela served as an EcoRep her freshman year and now will start her sophomore year as president of GreenSpace, the green interest housing group on campus.
Both students are also teaming up to assist in the Shred Fest event, write to the Students Corner, and put up our famous recycling “inSTALLment” signage in the residential bathrooms. You can read more about them in their bios on the Authors page. We are excited to have them both here for the summer and extend our warmest welcome!