Internship at EHS on campusZihui “Alice” Qiu, Bioenvironmental Sciences, Texas A&M University

Environmental Health & Safety Department at Texas A&M University

Environmental Health and Safety

Relationship to Career Goals

Internship Objectives

References

Description of Experience

About EHS

The Texas A&M EHS team of safety,

health, and environmental professionals is

focused on helping Texas A&M University

to fulfill its mission of “providing the

highest quality undergraduate and

graduate programs” and “developing new

understandings through research and

creativity”（EHS 2017.）

Mission

“Support and enrich Texas A&M University

by providing quality programs and services

that instill safety, health, and

environmental stewardship” （EHS 2017.）

Vision

“Ensure that Texas A&M University

provides the highest standard in health,

safety, and environmental protection”

（EHS 2017.）

Be of help in the department Gain good work ethic Get hands on experience

Develop environmental Learn about different Engage with environmental

outreach proposal companies/agents professionals

Shadow EHS employees Apply knowledge to Find my best interest in

daily work practice environmental career

My assigned duties for my internship are to shadow

Environmental Health & Safety department employees

and eventually develop an outreach program for

Environmental Health & Safety department.

Visiting and learning about Texas A&M hazardous waste

facility was very educational. This is a practical experience

for me to gain more knowledge about environmental

compliance specifically The Resource Conservation and

Recovery Act (RCRA). Attending multiple fire drill practice

and safety inspections were valuable lessons of

environmental safety. Reading environmental paper works

such as ASTM standards on environmental site assessments,

Storm Water Management Program helped me gain familiarity of environmental

regulations and professional writing. Participating in environmental checkup and

investigation was excellent hands-on experience for environmental emergency

respond. The environmental outreach program proposal that I will be developing is a

wonderful chance for me to explore different aspects of environmental health and

safety practice on campus and practice professional writing skills.

This internship exposes me to real life environmental issues, allows me to

preview into what it means to be out of school and work professionally.

The EHS department deals with waste disposal, hazardous waste treatment, spill

prevention and clean up, compliance with TCEQ, environmental assessment and

monitoring, fire/life safety inspections, building inspections, lab inspections, and

environmental emergency management. These concepts are directly related to my

BESC major due to classes I’ve taken, such as intro to bioenvironmental sciences,

environmental law and regulation.

I believe this internship will greatly benefit me in my future career plans. This

internship provides me with valuable hands-on experience. EHS shows me different

aspects and options of a career in the environmental sector, so I can be better

informed when it comes to my career decisions. This experience also would help

build up my resume.

Thanks to the insights from EHS, I am now a certified HAZWOPER technician.

Environmental Health and Safety. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from

https://www.tamhsc.edu/ehs/

About-Us. Retrieved March 26, 2017, from

https://ehsd.tamu.edu/Pages/About-Us.aspx

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my supervisor, assistant director at Environmental Health &

Safety Department- Mr. Jeff Truss, who is a truly professional, for his extraordinary

patience and guidance in my internship. I would also like to thank EHS employees

that interacted with me and provide great help, and Dr. Stoddard, who is my internship

instruct and provided great help with my technical writing skill.

Sponsors for high impact experiences for BESC and the BESC poster

symposium include the Department of Plant Pathology and Microbiology, -the

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the Office of the Provost and

Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Core Values

Safety

Communication

Cooperation

Integrity

Fig. 1.

[Environmenta

l investigation,

found polluted

creek]

Fig. 2. [Shop inspection] Fig. 3.

[Hazardous

waste labeling]

Fig. 4. [Signage in Medical

Diagnostic Laboratory]Fig. 5. [Emergency response

truck with Micro-Blaze] Fig. 6.

[TEEX

Brayton

Fire

Training

Field]

Fig. 7. [Emergency respond

practice]Fig. 8. [Waste water

treatment facility]

Fig. 9.

[Near 6951

8th St,

Bryan,

waste water

treatment

pond]

Fig. 10. [Radioactive

material processing lab tour]