EPA - Howard University Partnership

In 2006, Administrator Johnson and Howard University (HU) President H. Patrick Swygert signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which calls for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to participate in "lectures, conferences and other events" at HU, as well as EPA internships for HU students. The initial internship program began in 2006 as a part of the EPA Hurricane Katrina Relief Program. That year the EPA took on 16 HU students in six different offices. Many of those students who participated were directly affected by the storm. Unfortunately, in 2007, EPA was unable to host a HU intern class because of difficulty in establishing a reliable vehicle to support the program.

However, in preparation for the 2008 summer, EPA took great strides to surpass the initial number of 16 interns in 2006. EPA provided 27 HU students and graduates internships in the summer of 2008. Many of these interns continued throughout the academic school year, and because of the partnership several other students were offered the chance to gain valuable experience while still taking classes in the Fall and Spring. As further steps are taken to strengthen the partnership between the Environmental Protection Agency and HU, an increasing number of HU students, faculty and staff, as well as EPA staff, will reap the benefits of educational, professional and environmental partnership.