Meet Christopher!

Today on our Meet the Interns series we have Christopher Bruno!

Chris will be starting his second year at UConn in the fall, majoring in Resource Economics with a concentration in Environmental Economics and Policy.  He also plans to major in Business Fundamentals and Geographic Information Systems.  He cares a lot about environmental studies and was very excited about this internship when he learned about it from his adviser.

“The objective of what I am doing is to better our economic circumstances given our environment’s limited sources. There is a lot to be accounted for when we exploit our environment and I want to continue to find out just how much our environmental impact is costing us. I hope to learn enough to aid in the process of producing sustainable and economically feasible future plans. I will be learning more about how I can do this through my OEP internship and through my classes.

I recently went on a study abroad program in Costa Rica through the GREEN Program and have learned a lot about sustainability and renewable energy. While in Costa Rica, I visited various renewable energy plants and learned about them as well through an Enerdynamics program. I also helped set up water collection systems on small, local houses, seeing firsthand how simple, cost-effective projects could be implemented in many places without any hassle. I finished the trip off by working with a group of students and experts to produce an economically and sustainably efficient plan to reduce waste-water in a micro-apartment complex in Manhattan. The plan was based off of a new project in the city and could be implemented in retro-fitting buildings and other new projects. This trip validated my passion for what I study and is a big reason I was heavily interested in this internship.”

“I am looking forward to meeting everyone and working in the Office of Environmental Policy. The experience I will gain in this position will help me in reaching my goal of becoming an Environmental Consultant. I can’t wait to see how our projects have an impact on the campus and areas around it.”

Chris will be working on Central Warehouse Cleanup, Campus Sustainability Day, Football Game Days, the Campus Sustainability Fund, and UConn Foundation and Development activities, so look for his face at events next year!

Meet Kerrin!

Next in our “Meet the Interns” series: Kerrin Kinnear!

Kerrin is in her second year at UConn and found the OEP through a friend in EcoHusky!  Her experiences with EcoHusky and environmental alternative spring break during her first year encouraged her to declare an Environmental Studies major.

“This past year, I was involved in multiple environmental activities.  In the fall, I became an active member of EcoHusky, where I learned about environmental initiatives on campus, volunteered for food waste studies, and pursued a leadership role in public outreach. My involvement in the club inspired me to take the Environmental Conservation class on campus, where I learned about the evolution of environmental policy over the last couple hundreds of years and the importance of protecting the environment.  In addition, my experience with EcoHusky led me to an internship with Rising Green, an environmental start-up company that works to connect passionate students with green employers in the United States.

“While these were all amazing experiences, the highlight of my freshman year had to be my alternative spring break. In March, I hopped on a bus with 52 other UConn students and headed down to Biloxi, Mississippi to help with environmental tasks in the area.  We restored hurricane-damaged marshlands by transplanting 300 Cypress trees, as well as the endangered Sandhill Crane’s habitat by removing invasive vine and tree species. Seeing such beauty in the wildlife throughout the parks and forests we visited really motivated me to pursue a career in environmental policy and sustainability.

“Next year at the OEP I will be involved in Composting and Food Waste, Sneaker Recycling, Earth Day Spring Fling,  and EcoMadness.

“I am excited to work with and get to know each of you here at the Office of Environmental Policy.  I feel so lucky to have such a wonderful opportunity to gain experience in the field of environmental policy, and hope to apply what I learn here to my future career path.  I look forward to becoming more environmentally involved on UConn’s campus!”

We’re excited to have Kerrin as part of our team!  Look for her face at events this year!

Goodbye from Jen

Hello readers,

Today is my last official day working for the Office of Environmental Policy as the Sustainability Coordinator! I’ve really enjoyed working in support of environmental initiatives at UConn. The Green Game Days will always be a highlight for me, engaging Husky fans from all over with recycling, games, and giveaways. The students who attended our Climate Action Plan summit last fall were an inspiration, sharing their hopes for future developments on campus in support of carbon neutrality. And as always, our Earth Day Spring Fling event was unforgettable, particularly meeting all the local vendors and students who share our ambitions for widespread sustainability.

My short term goals are to finish writing and presenting my thesis, a resource economic study on coastal and marine spatial planning in Long Island Sound. Shortly afterward, I will travel to Belgium for an internship with the Institute for European Environmental Policy for the summer. There is a team of environmental economists working in Brussels in support of biodiversity protection, and I will provide support through marine-focused economics research.

I am excited for the next chapter in my life, but I will always cherish my time at UConn and with the OEP. I would like to thank all of the interns I worked with – Eric, Manisha, the Emilys, Alex, Skyler, Katie, and Meredith – for being so dedicated and making my job so much easier. Thank you to Rich and Cherie for believing in me from the start, and for Paul, Jason, and Stephanie for being so supportive of the sustainability team. And as always, a huge thank you to my fellow coordinator Laura – I couldn’t have done it without you.

Keep in touch everyone. Go Huskies!

Jen