Green Engineering Internship Program
EPA’s Green Engineering Program gives students an opportunity to intern at EPA. Interns may work on efforts to incorporate green engineering into organizational decision-making processes or on EPA green engineering projects.
The internships are non-paid positions. Interested students and organizations may contact EPA for more details at: hall.franklyn@epa.gov or nguyen.nhan@epa.gov.
Many of the internships have two parts: education and practice. The intent is to apply the educational portion to practical activities.
Educational component
The green engineering internship educational component was designed to provide an introduction to green and sustainable engineering.
Selected students may begin the educational component, which may include assigned readings and practice problems.
The educational component uses EPA's green engineering textbook, "Green Engineering: Environmentally Conscious Design of Chemical Processes".
Sample syllabus
| Day | Assigned Readings | Practice Problems |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Chapter 1 An Introduction to Sustainability |
4, 11, 12, 13 |
| 3-4 | Chapter 2 Risk and Life-Cycle Frameworks for Sustainability |
3, 6, 9 |
| 5-6 | Chapter 3 Environmental Law and Regulation |
3, 6, 10, 11 |
| 7-8 | Chapter 4 Green, Sustainable Materials |
4, 5, 7 |
| 9-10 | Chapter 5 Design for Sustainability: Economic, Environmental, and Social Indicators |
1, 2, 3 |
| 11-12 | Chapter 6 Case Studies |
5, 6, 7, 16 |
Suggested prerequisites
- Math: calculus, ordinary differential equations
- Computational: computer programming, numerical methods
- Science: physics, chemistry, life sciences
- Business: financial analysis, organizational design, management consulting
*It may be possible to receive academic credit for the educational component of the green engineering internship. Students may wish to speak with their academic department and/or educational institute to further explore this possibility. Students from all majors are eligible to apply.
Practical component
After completing the educational component, interns have an opportunity to work at EPA or a partner organization on issues or projects relating to green engineering.
Interested students and organizations may contact EPA for more details at: hall.franklyn@epa.gov or nguyen.nhan@epa.gov.
Fresh and independent perspectives are needed to address organizational challenges and realize sustainable solutions. Interested organizations can contact EPA to discuss, structure, and define potential projects. These projects can be formalized using an appropriate instrument. Outputs from such efforts could be, for example, process mappings, newly developed metrics, or computerized tools and models that inform organizational decision-making.