Cooperative Education Opportunities in Environmental Engineering
Environmental engineering is a growing field. It offers exciting, challenging, and satisfying opportunities to practice in a variety of areas which benefit society. Environmental engineers protect the health, safety and welfare of people and our environment. Environmental engineers fix and/ or prevent problems created by industry and population growth. Co-op environmental engineering students have worked at:
- Pharmaceutical Companies
- Utility Companies
- Consulting Firms
- Government Agencies (EPA and Army Corp.)
Skills co-op students learn on environmental engineering assignments include:
- Familiarity with environmental legislation and regulations
- The latest technology in soil and water sampling
- Record keeping and technical writing
- Tracking systems, report preparation, CAD and computer databases
Major accomplishments:
- Prioritized corrective action at hazardous waste facilities
- Evaluated data for high priority sites: examined site maps, topographical maps, sampling results, contamination data; preliminary findings of fact and administrative records
- Utilized AutoCAD to make drafting changes to site plans
- Calculated soil radiation levels and metric conversions for Brookhaven National Laboratory Feasibility Study
- Supervised tank installations and excavations, monitored well installations, soil borings, and soil excavations
- Collected soil and water samples for chemical and environmental tests
- Created and maintained existing databases dealing with waste generation, disposal, waste water discharge, and permit compliance
- Monitored the effectiveness of a new groundwater treatment facility
- Prepared applications for hazardous materials permits
- Wrote safety guidelines and procedures for hazardous substance delivery, storage and handling
- Performed testing of ion exchange resin to treat industrial wastewater
- Sampled and analyzed wastewater of biological reactor treatment plant