An Inside Look on Engineering - Environmental and Ecological Engineering

Hello!

I'm Emily Conkling and I’m a senior at Purdue University studying Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE) with a minor in Sustainable Engineering. As EEE is a relatively new engineering major here at Purdue, we are the crossroads between the rigors of Purdue Engineering and a passion for the environment. We focus in areas like systems engineering, biology, and chemistry to look at sustainable systems, technologies, and processes while also looking out for human and environmental well-being. Common industries for my colleagues include: water treatment and stewardship, pollution control, abatement and remediation, industrial ecology, sustainability, and energy. But environmental engineers can also be found in the public sector, working in regulation and compliance, or even research and development teams in major corporations.

But all that happens after graduation! My EEE experience during my time on campus has been incredible. For one, I think the EEE administrative staff has done a fantastic job setting up a mentor-mentee program. Not only do I have a professor as a mentor, I also have a member of our External Advisory Council (EEE alumni board, basically) as a mentor. I really appreciate having the opportunity to hear their stories and learn from them. Other cool opportunities that I’ve had through my department include undergraduate research under Dr. Andrew Whelton and studying abroad for a semester in New Zealand!

During my sophomore and junior year, I was an undergraduate research assistant at Purdue. Thanks to this opportunity, I was able to attend a national conference, do some field-testing on-site in Sacramento, California, and co-author a couple of journal articles. I was able to learn from a brilliant lab group and also gain insight on how analytical lab tests work, which will be hugely beneficial throughout my career.

In Spring of 2017, I studied abroad for 5 months at the University of Cantebury in Christchurch, New Zealand. While abroad, I was able to take 2 engineering courses, a global environmental law course, and a course on the New Zealand Maori people. This was by far one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I was able to fully immerse myself in another culture and explore a beautiful country through hikes, camping trips, and road trips. I was able to come back to school in the United States and apply what I learned abroad to my courses here. It was a valuable tool to be able to step back and think about things in a perspective.

Overall, I’m very thankful for the education and opportunities that I’ve garnered through Purdue’s EEE department. The faculty and staff are passionate about the environment, teaching, and helping out their students.

And this is just my story! There are over 100 students within the EEE department. If you’d like to learn more about what our students are up to, I would recommend reaching out to our Academic Advisor Tammi Thayer at thayert@purdue.edu or by exploring our website at: https://engineering.purdue.edu/EEE.