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My 2021 Internship Experience

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This past summer, I was one of the two interns that Allen Soil and Water Conservation District hired. I applied for this position by emailing Casey on January 6th that I was interested. I actually applied last year too, but obviously didn’t get it. However, this summer, I got the interview and the job. I was thrilled for this experience, as an internship is vital to getting a full-time job nowadays. I am also interested in working in the public sector, so this position would be a look as to how government organizations operate.

We started May 12th, with 40-hour work weeks for 10 weeks. At that time, I was confused, a little scared, and definitely out of my element. You see, I am from Canal Winchester, AKA a suburb of Columbus. I had never actually been to Lima (but my mom is from Findlay). And I never did any of the things that seemed so popular around here (I had never been in 4-H, raised farm animals, or eaten Rudolph pork rinds). But I warmed up quickly, as my coworkers made me feel welcome and made sure I knew the ins and outs of Lima, including which backroads were faster and which Kewpee to go to based on what time it was and how busy they would be.

Ethan (the other intern) and I had two major projects that we worked on this summer. The first of which is called storm drain marking. We did this for both the County and for the City of Lima. For each, we chose a neighborhood and would drive through and stop at each catch basin. We would record the total depth, as well as the water depth. Then, we would record each pipe in the drains, including the type, size, depth, and direction. We would make sure it did not need maintenance and there was no evidence of illicit discharge. If necessary, we would also attach a steel marker, reminding people the catch basins lead to the waterways, so they should not toss litter down the drains. For the city, we completed 307 storm drains and for the county, we completed 211 storm drains. There were a few storm drains that particularly stuck out to me. In one, we saw a tree sapling growing out of the grate. It will need to be removed soon to avoid future problems. There was another storm drain that had been covered with wire mesh, with dirt and grass over top. It looked like the resident was trying to grow grass on top of the drain. We removed the wire mesh, in order for the catch basin to work properly.

The other major project that we worked on was outfall monitoring. Ethan and I trekked through Lost Creek in the MS4 district. When we came across an outfall, such as a pipe, we would take the GPS coordinate and record the pipe dimensions and type. If water was flowing, we would also take a sample and record the temperature and pH. We also tested for chlorine and nitrogen and phosphorus levels. Only a select handful of outfalls had exceeded nutrient levels.

We also did some other tasks this summer, such as pond maintenance at Faurot Park. We treated the ponds manually and chemically to reduce the algal growth. I visited a couple construction sites to observe construction inspections. This internship gave me a wide array of exposure to different areas of the soil and water field. The workplace environment was positive and I felt included in every part of the workday process. I recommend this internship for anyone interested in environmental science or biology. Even as an engineering major, I gained valuable experience and knowledge this past summer that I can carry on into future classes and jobs.

A Case Study on Engineering Ethics

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The case study that I am looking at for this post can be found at this link. In this scenario, an engineer is working on a project for a developer client. The engineer is to preform hydrodynamic modeling and coastal risk assessment for a new residential development near the coast and analyze data in connect to climate change and change in sea level. After doing their analysis, the engineer comes to the conclusion that the building should be built to withstand a 100-year storm event due to public safety risks. However, there are no current building codes in place in the area and the developer refuses to build to a 100-year projection storm surge elevation due to the increase in cost of the project. This case comes in conflict with several moral and ethical ideals. While the engineer may have loyalty to the company or the client and want to work with them again in the future, there is elevated risk and the engineer has to consider the safety of the public. The client was told a set price for the project from a non-professional and the client wants to keep with that budget. However, engineering standards are dedicated to the health, safety, and welfare of the public, no matter the cost.
Some people would say is would not be fair to the client who was quoted a certain price for the development project but was given a higher price later on. Since there are no current building codes in place, he should be able to design the building how they see fit. Other people see the engineer only being object and doing their job, keeping in mind the safety of the public first. There are 2 obvious courses of actions that this project can move forward. Either the client decides to listen to the engineer’s advice on the project, or the engineer concedes and potentially puts the public in future danger. Another engineer should also be brought in to either confirm the first engineer’s findings or catch a mistake that may allow a cheaper course of action for the client.

In conclusion, I believe that it is an ethical obligation of the engineer to discuss with the client on the importance of building for a 100-year storm surge, including showcasing the facts that lead to that decision. If I were in this situation and the client still refuses to take this advice, I would immediately remove myself from the project until this issue is resolved. Until agreement, I would continue to follow this project and ensure that the building codes are consistent with my findings, as well as report the situation to relevant authorities.

Lifelong Learner

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In the past, if I needed to locate and evaluate sources of technical or professional engineering knowledge, I would refer to some of my textbooks if I believed the answers would be answered in the published text. If it referred to a concept that I was currently taking a class in, I would ask my professor for some guidance in the subject and sources that they deemed appropriate. If the subject was something else, I would use a search engine to find reputable sources with information on the subject, including university and government websites. For example, I was in a group last spring that was planning on going to Guatemala during Spring Break do complete some service work in engineering. We were tasked with the project to fix an existing rooftop rainwater collection and sanitation system that had stopped working a few months prior at a preschool. I did a lot of online research on the topic of rainwater collection, including which roof designs were most efficient at collecting water, what types of sanitation processes were most effective at cleaning the water at a level safe for drinking with minimal amount of human intervention. I also reached out to a professor at Ohio State that was considered an expert on the subject and asked for her advice on the subject. By the time we landed in Panajachel, Guatemala, I felt confident in my knowledge on the subject. In Guatemala, my group was able to take the appropriate measurements while at the preschool, and when we came back home, we were able to put together a report, as well as implementation steps for the groups to follow.

In the future, I hope to get in the field of ecosystem restoration, which is a field that is always growing and evolving. Ecological engineering is a fairly new field that is getting increasingly important as societal development continues and resources are becoming scarce. New technology is being more advanced, so it is important for me to stay up to date with new information that improves my engineering skills and the projects I complete. Currently, I do not have concrete plans on whether I will be continuing my university learning after I graduate with my B.S. in Food Agricultural, and Biological Engineering from The Ohio State University. While I do wish to receive a Master’s in a related field, I am excited to enter into the field of engineering when I graduate and learn from other professionals in my line of work. However, I still plan on receiving my Professional Engineering license to be recognized as a competent professional in the field of engineering. I also plan on attending conferences and events regularly in my field, including the annual meeting of the American Ecological Engineering Society, where I can hear from peers in the field, share my experiences, and learn from their mistakes and successes.

About Me (Updated)

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Hi there! My name is Abby Obert and this is my ePortfolio to give you more insight into my personal and professional life. I am currently a third-year at The Ohio State University, studying Ecological Engineering, with a minor in Humanitarian Engineering. I am originally from a suburb of Columbus, Canal Winchester, where I spent  16 years of my life until I moved to OSU for school. Both of my parents are OSU Alum, and here I am to follow in their footsteps. Ever since I was little, I loved spending time outside, camping, hiking, and going

My dog, Princess

on adventures. My parents instilled the idea to treat others with kindness and respect. This value was passed down to my brother and I with heavy emphasis, by growing up donating, volunteering, and participating in service projects whenever we could. My passion for community service and development has only escalated since then, volunteering as often as I can. If you ever get the chance to talk to me about my dog, I will probably go on and on because I love my pup. 

 

Research and Work

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Currently, I am involved in the Blueprint Columbus Research Project at Ohio State, under the supervision of Dr. Jay Martin. Our research group is analyzing the effects of rain garden networks throughout Clintonville, such as which styles are more effective, the effects of runoff in the area, and the water quality as it enters major water sources in the city. This project is impactful because it is the first large-scale research done on rain garden networks and can help change the game in how we plan out cities to better prepare for storm events to decrease runoff and improve water quality. My responsibilities include taking water samples after storm events, keeping the lab organized, and the equipment clean. I appreciate the opportunity that I have to be involved in research and plan to use the knowledge I have in future endeavors.

I am also a server/hostess at Adriatico’s Pizza on Neil Avenue. While some may just see this as a part-time job with no relevance to engineering, I can safely safe that is far from true. Every shift, I am greeted by people I have never met before, as well as new problems to be worked through in a manner that is beneficial to both the customers and to the restaurant. Having this job has provided me with invaluable interpersonal skills, which can be applied to teamwork situations.

I have also completed a engineering service-learning trip in Panajachel, Guatemala, which can be read here.

Education

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Currently, I am a third-year in Food, Agricultural, and Biological Engineering (FABE) with a specialization in Ecological Engineering. I am also pursuing a minor in Humanitarian Engineering. In my eyes, ecological engineering is a relatively old field of engineering that never truly had a name. It can be described as solving environmental problems using natural systems, with human engineering taking a backburner. Others describe it as a combination of ecology and engineering, using the natural ecosystems around us to benefit both humans and nature. Humanitarian engineering is using engineering practices to help marginalized or disadvantaged communities. These fields of engineering can sometimes go hand-in-hand when talking about environmental injustices and food deserts. These programs are important to me because they have allowed me to combine my passions for the environmental and helping others with my skills in engineering application.

My three years as a FABE student has taught me many things, both for in and outside of the classroom. While I know how to use differential equations to calculate the temperature of an object being heated at different areas within the object and vaguely how to use AutoCAD do design and showcase my ideas into drawings, I have also learned the importance of the field and the importance of using not only our engineering skills, but also our morals and ethics when designing projects. I have taken a few classes in thermodynamics, physics, and surveying. I have also taken classes more related to my intended career path, such as soil and water engineering, ecological engineering and science, and ecology. However the classes that have stuck out to me the most were the classes that I was able to use the classroom knowledge I had gained to a real-life situation in cases where we were able to help communities or groups in need.

I plan on graduating in May of 2022 with my Bachelor’s degree. I hope that I am able to secure a job in a related field. My passion and experience mostly lie in freshwater resources management, however I welcome new opportunities with open arms and a willingness to learn.

OSU Service Learning in Guatemala 2020

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Picture of rainwater harvesting system at El Barranco Preschool. Picture taken by previous group in 2017

Originally, my group had plans to travel to the preschool in El Barranco to look at the rainwater harvesting system currently present and try to see the issues around why it wasn’t working. We were not given much information beforehand, so we were hoping we could use this time to collect a lot of data, take lots of pictures, and run simple trial and error tests. However, there were other plans in store for us. The El Barranco Preschool sits on the borderline between 2 villages and there is currently a small feud happening between the two villages. Mayan Families believed it would be best for the situation for outsiders to not intervene at the moment , so we were not able to visit the site this year. We will still be passing along all of our research and current ideas for the future groups.

 

Instead of doing that, we went to an elder adult community center. There, we played games, did puzzles and arts and crafts, and made paper airplanes and threw them around the room. At first, walking into the room was slightly uncomfortable in my opinion, but after introductions, people started to warm up. A lot of the seniors spoke Kaqchiquel, so there was a language barrier between us, but there wasn’t a barrier in body language and smiles. They put on some music and we danced with the seniors and had a great time. As everything was winding down, it was time for lunch. All of us students lined up and served the seniors hibiscus tea and a plate for lunch. The lunch consisted of chicken, rice, tortillas, some sort of sauce, and cooked vegetables. Overall, the meal was delicious and reminded me of a home cooked meal. For future students, I recommend going in with an open mind and being grateful to spend time with individuals who have so many experiences and life stories. For myself, before I had even walked in, I thought I was going to be uncomfortable and not enjoy myself, but once I let my guard down, I let myself have fun and enjoy the moment and the people around me.

 

Alex putting the final piece on the cookstove by using a very long piece of bamboo that she had found on the ground.

After lunch, it was time for them to go home, so we split into three groups, packed into the vans, and travelled to nearby homes to install our last set of cookstoves for the trip. Installing the cookstoves in homes always put a good feeling into my heart because it was an immediate impact that we were making on the family. The house was part of what is called a “cloud village,” where it was so high in altitude that we were casually driving through clouds. It was scary at first because it looked like a large dust storm coming our way. You always want to be careful when entering on somebody’s property because that is their home and a home means a lot to someone. We always made sure to ask permission before entering houses, picking up our trash, and sweeping after we installed the cookstoves. After the installation, we interviewed the mother of the household about their water usage. There were 7 people living in the house and they had originally had a kitchen, but that part of the house had caved in, so she was grateful to receive a cookstove.

 

After we were done with the interview and cleaning up, we thanked the family for their time, got back into the van, and left for our hotel in Panajachel. When we had all arrived at the hotel, Adithya and Leslie told us to meet them in the lobby for important updates. Due to the recent changes regarding COVID-19, they said, the university wanted us to travel back to campus as soon as possible. We were to leave for the airport in the morning and this was our last night in Guatemala. This was our bad luck on Friday the 13th. Our original plan was

Full group picture on our last day in Guatemala.

to present our work to Mayan Families, but with our new schedule, they decided we could wait to do that until we got back to the U.S. and enjoy our night in Pana, doing what we had put off. I went with a group and we decided to try to spend all our money on the street vendors by stocking up on souvenirs. Bartering with the vendors was fun to do, even if you didn’t know much Spanish. Although, you always have to keep in mind that this is their livelihood and you shouldn’t sell them short. That night, we ate at Origins, a nice restaurant near the hotel and reflected on our time in Guatemala. Pablo has a beautiful mural of Frida Kahlo painted at the restaurant that you should admire when walking in. Leaving a day early was unfortunate, but I realized it was safer than being stuck in Guatemala for I don’t know how long.

We spent half a semester studying this region of Guatemala, and for the first couple days, it almost seemed unreal that we were there, travelling around Lake Atitlan and interacting with people native to the region. Spending the weekdays working was just as fun as the tourist days because we met so many people and heard about their stories, made a present-day impact by installing cookstoves and water filters in homes, and prepared to make future impacts by conducting interviews and taking measurements. This trip was a lot of fun because I was able to explore the culture and become closer to friends I had made through the class. Because of my positive experience, I will be looking into doing more service-abroad trips to broaden my horizons and increase my personal impact on those around me.

 

End of Year Review

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Well, as I am writing this, there is only this week left for classes, and next week begins Finals. As I am closing in on my first year at Ohio State, I am trying to reflect on what I have learned while being here, the memories I have made, and the person I have become.

To start, this was my first year of taking classes that I may use in the future, such as engineering

Assembly model of the Breathalyzer device made by my group

and physics. My engineering class this semester was interesting because each group was able to focus on their own project that would help impact society in a positive way. My group decided to create a breathalyzer that could be installed in a key fob to help prevent drunk driving before it even happened. In this class, Professor Ratcliff taught us to look at the bigger picture and investigate the good and bad impacts that engineers could bring when trying to solve a problem. He gave the example of giving tractors to people in Ghana. These people were given tractors in order for them to farm “more efficiently” and such, however this was not the solution they needed. There are no mechanics in the area to fix the tractors when they break down, so now there are many unused tractors parked, doing nothing. This example opened my eyes to the reality that what we may think is a good solution may not be the case, and to always ask the people what they would like before trying to intrude with our cultural ideals.

Outside the classroom, I learned a lot as well. Probably most of this learning came from my extracurricular activities, athletic band and students for recycling. Last Saturday, I performed in The Shoe with the Athletic Band, as we played for Spring Game. It was amazing to perform in front of 60,000+ people in Ohio Stadium. It was a fun time, reliving my marching band days, even though I became majorly sunburnt. Below, I have attached the halftime show from Spring Game 2019. At minute 1:30, I am in the front, the first person left of the 50-yard line.

Ohio State Athletic Band: Gladiators!

The Athletic Band conquered halftime at today's Spring Game with its performance of "Gladiators!" — featuring music from The Pines of Rome, Gladiator and Ben-Hur.

Posted by The Ohio State University Athletic Band on Saturday, April 13, 2019

Over the past year, I’d like to think that I have grown as a person. I have tried to be kinder to people and give off a more positive vibe. I have also become more confident in my major and what I see myself doing in the future. I have made some friends, especially in this second semester, many people with whom I hope to keep in touch with. I am really grateful that I decided to join the Leadership Council for ENR Scholars this semester because I was able to get involved in a program that has supported me and given me some amazing friends. One of my favorite memories this school year was Time For Change Week because I was able to get involved on campus to help make OSU more sustainable, as well as attend events that opened me up to new ideas. Next year, I look forward to making closer connections with friends and continue my education in the direction that I have grown to love.

Over the summer, I will be working at the Franklin County Metro Parks as a Youth Summer Camp Counselor. I am super excited to share my passion for the environment with the younger generations.

Spring Break 2019

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On Thursday, March 7th, my Spring Break started early when I had to privilege to travel with

The Trombone section at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis

The Ohio State Athletic Band, following the Women’s Basketball team to Indianapolis for the WNCAA Big Ten tournament. Before the game, we stopped at the Circle Centre Mall, where I had Taco Bell for lunch. The Women’s Team, no. 5, lost the first game to Wisconsin, no. 13, a disappointing result. Our  time in Indianapolis was cut short, as we departed for our journey back home. To recap my Thursday: I sat on a bus for 3 hours, ate Taco Bell at a mall food court, watched my team lose, and rode on the bus for 3 more hours. Doesn’t seem very exciting, however I was able to bond with people in my section, which is a plus. When I got back to campus Thursday night, I decided to go home early because I had already informed my professors I would not be in class on Friday.

 

Ryan and I at The Bean at Millennium Park

On Saturday, my boyfriend, Ryan, and I made the drive to Chicago. We had decided to see his brother, who lives in Minnesota, however they had a major snowstorm Saturday that prevented us from driving in Minnesota on Saturday. So instead, Ryan and I made the stop in Chicago, about halfway. In the city, our first activity was at the Museum of Science and Industry, similar to Cosi in Columbus. The museum had several neat exhibits, with my favorite being the temporary Extreme Ice exhibit, which contained photographs of glaciers and described the fight against climate change. In the center of the room, there was a giant piece of ice, about the length of a car, that we were able to touch. After the Museum of Science and Industry, we checked into our hotel room and walked the mile to Millennium Park, a popular outdoor area in Chicago. Possibly the most notable part of the park is Cloud Gate, also known as the Bean!! However, it was cold and windy outside, so we didn’t stay outside long. Afterwards, we got dinner nearby at Giordano’s, famous for their deep-dish Chicago-style pizza. There is also a popcorn chain in the city called Garrett Popcorn Shops, which has delicious popcorn!! We left Sunday morning for Minnesota.

Ryan, Devin, and I were surprised when confetti exploded from the walls and covered us

 

Besides the Twin Cities, the only “major” tourist attraction Minnesota has is the Mall of America. Ryan, his brother, and I visited the Mall of America twice in the four days we were there. We did several attractions in the mall, including mini-golf, an aquarium, and Candytopia, a magical place similar to Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with free candy in each room. At the end of the tour, there was a foam marshmallow pit to play in, which brought out the child in all of us. In Minnesota, we also played trivia at 2 separate restaurants (and lost embarrassingly both times). Ryan and I arrived home late Wednesday night. I spent my remaining days of Spring Break relaxing with my family and attending my brother’s band concerts. Overall, it was a pretty eventful Spring Break and a nice week off from school.