Eastern Student Emma Avery of Harwinton Selected for Sustainable Energy Internship

2015 Oct 23

The Institute of Sustainable Energy (ISE) promotes energy efficiency and sustainability. The ISE's main goal is to promote the use of less energy while providing performance through technologies that promote sustainable energy. The ISE educates individuals through education, research and technology support.

Emma Avery '19 of Harwinton is currently working as an ISE intern for the 2015-16 academic year. Avery's major is Environmental Earth Science.

Students at Eastern are selected to participate in the paid internship program with the ISE staff. The interns gain experience by learning practical professional skills while assisting with major projects and aiding with technical support. Students are picked based on their resume, and follow-up interview. The program doesn't require science majors. This year the interns have majors ranging from education to accounting.

Interns are given several responsibilities such as analyzing energy data from schools, colleges, universities and state buildings. They are also taught to enter data into the EPA Energy Star portfolio manager benchmarking tool and learn about building energy systems and operations. The students also have opportunities to support the Connecticut Green Leaf Schools initiative and assist with education programs and events, lesson research, design and writing curriculum.

The ISE staff guides interns through the steps of their internship; they hold them to a professional standard, while encouraging the students to gain as much experience as possible. "The best part of my work day is getting to work together with so many students. Their experiences as interns help prepare them for a career in their chosen field. We mentor our interns and help them learn important, practical professional skills," said Laura Miller, ISE energy technical specialist.

"I do meaningful work that positively affects the sustainability of Eastern's campus," said Avery. "I feel that I am able to make a difference in my local community, which is a wonderful feeling."

ISE interns have participated in such efforts as creating and maintaining the ISE website, researching electric vehicles, assisting in the preparation of a grant application for a charging station on Eastern campus, improving the waste stream at Eastern and planning events for the Solarize U campaign.

"I am currently a freshman and an Environmental Earth Science major hoping to enter the field of Environmental Law," said Avery. "My experiences at the ISE will prepare me for my future, giving me practical experiences and opportunities."