Professional Development: Career and Internship Fair

Event: Career and Internship Fair

Date: 9/18/2019, 12-4 PM

Location: Ohio Union

This month I attended the Career and Internship Fair in hopes of finding an organization that provided internships in the environmental science field. I spent most of my time at the booths for the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency so I could learn about the opportunities they provided for students in the Summer. The zoo seemed to have some interesting research internships where I could interact with the animals and learn about conservation initiatives. Working for the zoo would be an incredible experience and it would be a memorable summer, but I think the EPA had more positions that were suited towards my interests. After talking to the representatives from the EPA, I learned that they had a wide variety of internship possibilities ranging from environmental policy to measuring air and water pollution in Ohio. I plan to look through all of the available positions and apply to the one that interests me most, but it may not work out as I am going on a study abroad and have to take a Summer class as well.

The roles that I am hoping to fill within these organizations do have a connection to international affairs because environmental issues always have an international component. Despite these internships being more localized to central Ohio, the problems that are addressed are not unique to Ohio. Greater environmental issues like global climate change and its associated consequences are seen in changing weather patterns and its effects on the livelihoods of Ohioans, especially those that rely on agriculture. Ohio, along with the rest of the mid-west and many other parts of the world, feel the impacts of climate change. Not only are Ohioans affected by climate issues, but primary industries within ohio are some of the main industries responsible for greenhouse gas emissions. Coal mining and the use of coal for electricity is one of the main sources of emissions in Ohio along with transportation. I believe it would be beneficial for me to work as an intern in the EPA so I could learn more about the science behind understanding how environmental issues affect living conditions in Ohio, as well as the evaluation of policies regarding these issues.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *