SunWise with SHADE Poster Contest
The U.S. EPA’s SunWise program teaches students and adults about how to practice safe sun. Overexposure to harmful UV rays in sunlight can cause health effects such as skin cancer, cataracts and a weakened immune system. I especially know to practice safe-sun because of my fair skin, light eyes and red hair which make me more vulnerable to sunburn and other harmful effects from the sun. Days at the pool as a kid always involved lots of sun screen and wearing a t-shirt over my swimsuit into the water. Even as an adult, I still make sure I practice safe sun by always wearing sunscreen and sunglasses when going outdoors. You can help raise awareness about the importance of practicing safe sun by entering the 2013 SunWise with SHADE poster contest. Students in grades K-8 can visit http://www.epa.gov/sunwise/postercontest.html to see previous winners and apply by April 1, 2013. Participating students are eligible for prizes, including a grand prize of a family trip to Disney World. While you are practicing how to protect yourself from the sun, share your ideas with other students in a creative way!
Shelby Egan is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for protecting natural resources, cities she’s never been to and cooking any recipe by The Pioneer Woman.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Career advice from Nefertiti
By: Kelly Siegel
In classes we are always hearing about Superfund sites, but we never touch on them with too much detail. Lucky for me, I am interning at the EPA so I decided to sit down with, Nefertiti DiCosmo, to learn more about what goes on in the Superfund Division.
What is your position at the EPA?
I am a remedial project manager in the Superfund Division. We investigate and clean up hazardous waste sites in EPA Region 5.
What is a typical day like for you?
The great thing about this job is that you are never bored – you get to learn about new things all the time, so every day is different. My job is to move Superfund sites through the remedial process. This requires coordination and constant communication. Since there are many interested parties when it comes to cleanup work, I am communicating with most of them on a weekly basis. In addition, I review technical work and reports and give comments. I sometimes go out to the site to oversee sampling or cleanup activities. I do a lot of writing and planning. Some of the documents I write are decision documents, five-year reviews, clean up and sampling schedules and reports, work assignments for contractors, etc.
What is the best part of your job?
Getting things done! I feel a sense of accomplishment when I have completed an investigation at a site or when I have written a decision document to clean it up. I feel progress has been made and I can go to the community and show them what the EPA has done and plans to do. It is a good feeling that motivates me to continue working on other cleanups.
Did you always have an interest in the environment?
I always knew it was important to protect the environment. However, I was more interested in how human health was impacted by the environment. We depend so much on our natural resources but, as a human race, we mistreat those resources and then are surprised when our health is negatively impacted. I like to look at the relationships people have with the environment.
What classes did you take in school that you use on the job today?
Biology and chemistry classes, of course. But, I often use my philosophy and humanities social sciences course. One of the keys to getting things done is getting along with people who work on the project. In addition, I am very proactive on taking advantage of training programs and classes available at EPA. School is always important, regardless of the subject matter. It is important to learn how to learn!
Do you have any advice for kids today who have an interest in protecting our environment?
Be the change! Lead by example! It is more effective to focus on how you embody the change you wish to see, than for you to tell a million people how important it is that they do the same thing. If you want to protect the environment, do some research about what the issues are, choose a change you could make, and then practice that behavior as often as you can. Then, when you are ready, choose another one!
Kelly Siegel is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for sustainable development, running, and traveling with friends.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Career Advice from Bilal
By: Kelly Siegel
Many of my fellow classmates will be graduating this Spring. Although I still have another year to go, career advice is always welcomed. I learned so much from Amy and Marta that I decided to continue my EPA employee interviews. This time I sat down with Bilal Qazzaz to learn more about what he does at the EPA!
What is your position at the EPA?
I am the Quality Assurance Coordinator for Air Monitoring in the Air and Radiation Division. In essence, I provide guidance and oversight to our state, local, and tribal agencies to ensure that data generation activities, such as field monitoring, comply with EPA quality standards.
What is a typical day like for you?
One of the great things about working for the EPA is there are no typical days. In given week I can be reviewing a Quality Assurance Project Plan one day, performing a flow audit on our continuous metals monitor the next, planning for a field monitoring campaign, or providing guidance to our region on quality assurance matters.
What is the best part of your job?
Simply put…the people I work with. Every day I learn something new and come away better prepared to do my job. I’ve been with EPA for just over a year and I’ve learned an incredible amount from those around me.
Did you always have an interest in the environment?
Well, when I grew up, my friends and I were always outdoors looking for snakes and spiders. It was great, back then there were still a lot of prairies where a kid could get lost all day and find all sorts of neat stuff. So yes, I suppose I have but perhaps I didn’t know it.
What classes did you take in school that you use on the job today?
Certainly all the math and science courses help me in my present position. Though I do find myself most often recalling material from my chemistry and ecology classes.
Do you have any advice for kids today who have an interest in protecting our environment?
I would say look around your immediate surroundings–home, school, or local park — see what needs to be done or can be improved upon. Then take the initiative; don’t wait for others to act to protect our natural resources. Be clear on how your environmental project would benefit your audience, and especially with adults, tying in potential economic benefits is sure to win them over!
Kelly Siegel is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for sustainable development, running, and traveling with friends.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Career Advice from Amy
I learned so much interviewing Marta about her position at the EPA, I decided to sit down with another EPA employee, Amy Mucha.
What is your position at the EPA?
I am an Environmental scientist and project manager in the Great Lakes National Program Office. I get to use a variety of skills in my job which is developing, designing and managing projects to clean up the worst areas of the Great Lakes.
What is a typical day like for you?
My day is usually a combination of reviewing data; meetings/conference calls to coordinate my projects and all the activities related to it; communicating with various stakeholders including members of the public, states, industries and academia; working on funding issues like contracts and interagency agreements.
What is the best part of your job?
That my work has impact – I help clean up the Great Lakes! Knowing I’m doing my part to aid in such a great effort is very satisfying. In addition, there is often field work as well and our program has its own sampling vessel, called the Mudpuppy II, and I usually spend a week or two each year in the field taking samples.
Did you always have an interest in the environment?
Not always – I’ve always had an interest in science though. My training was in basic science when I went to a Federal Government job fair and I applied to work at the EPA. Being at EPA meant that I could apply that training to real world situations which I enjoy and that really developed my interest in the environment. Now it’s hard to imagine working in another area, environmental work really involves so many disciplines and ‘puzzles’ to solve.
What classes did you take in school that you use on the job today?
Besides my lab training in basic science I also have a PhD in environmental toxicology; so I’ve taken many classes over the years. The most directly useful classes were my graduate levels statistics classes and organic chemistry – I still use a great deal of those skills now in analyzing data and assessing my sites. However, the practical work that went into completing my theses – where I learned experimental design and how to address key research questions -was what gave me critical skill of building an analytical framework for problem solving. That ability still helps me tremendously in how I do my job every day.
Do you have any advice for kids today who have an interest in protecting our environment?
Get involved in a project you care about, whether it’s recycling, environmental justice, urban gardens, climate change, or saving the Great Lakes. The key is to grow your passion – from that it will be clear what training you need to take you where you want to go.
Kelly Siegel is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for sustainable development, running, and traveling with friends.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
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