Career Advice from Amy
I learned so much interviewing Marta about her position at the EPA, I decided to sit down with another EPA employee, Amy Mucha.
What is your position at the EPA?
I am an Environmental scientist and project manager in the Great Lakes National Program Office. I get to use a variety of skills in my job which is developing, designing and managing projects to clean up the worst areas of the Great Lakes.
What is a typical day like for you?
My day is usually a combination of reviewing data; meetings/conference calls to coordinate my projects and all the activities related to it; communicating with various stakeholders including members of the public, states, industries and academia; working on funding issues like contracts and interagency agreements.
What is the best part of your job?
That my work has impact – I help clean up the Great Lakes! Knowing I’m doing my part to aid in such a great effort is very satisfying. In addition, there is often field work as well and our program has its own sampling vessel, called the Mudpuppy II, and I usually spend a week or two each year in the field taking samples.
Did you always have an interest in the environment?
Not always – I’ve always had an interest in science though. My training was in basic science when I went to a Federal Government job fair and I applied to work at the EPA. Being at EPA meant that I could apply that training to real world situations which I enjoy and that really developed my interest in the environment. Now it’s hard to imagine working in another area, environmental work really involves so many disciplines and ‘puzzles’ to solve.
What classes did you take in school that you use on the job today?
Besides my lab training in basic science I also have a PhD in environmental toxicology; so I’ve taken many classes over the years. The most directly useful classes were my graduate levels statistics classes and organic chemistry – I still use a great deal of those skills now in analyzing data and assessing my sites. However, the practical work that went into completing my theses – where I learned experimental design and how to address key research questions -was what gave me critical skill of building an analytical framework for problem solving. That ability still helps me tremendously in how I do my job every day.
Do you have any advice for kids today who have an interest in protecting our environment?
Get involved in a project you care about, whether it’s recycling, environmental justice, urban gardens, climate change, or saving the Great Lakes. The key is to grow your passion – from that it will be clear what training you need to take you where you want to go.
Kelly Siegel is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for sustainable development, running, and traveling with friends.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
A Green Valentine
By: Shelby Egan
While celebrating this year’s Valentine’s Day, don’t forget to show the environment some love! Valentine’s Day festivities often include exchanging cards with friends and classroom parties full of sweets. As a kid, I remember my mom buying me my favorite Disney character cards to pass out in class, which often meant multiple trips to the store to find the perfect Cinderella or Little Mermaid card. Along with this came candy hearts, chocolate goodies and decorating our house with colorful window decals. You can still have just as much fun, but now there are ways to do so in an environmentally friendly way. You can do so by:
1. When buying Valentine’s Day cards at the store, check the label of the box and see if the cards were made with recycled content. If so, buy cards that were made with recycled content instead of non-recycled. You can also make Valentine’s Day cards at home with recycled construction paper. This will help save the amount of resources used and can be fun to decorate and personalize your own cards.
2. As a party activity, take old magazines and newspapers to make a Valentine’s Day collage with friends. You can have fun creating a project using materials that would otherwise be recycled or thrown out.
3. Create re-used, homemade bookmarks as gifts for family and friends. Take an old tissue box or cereal box and cut 2”x 5” strips. Color or paint these with red, pink and white and write a message to a friend.
4. If you are baking treats to share with friends, ask your parent or guardian to buy organic ingredients locally. Sweets will taste just as good but will also be good for the environment.
Have fun celebrating the day with the ones you love, and don’t forget how easy it is to be environmentally friendly.
Shelby Egan is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for protecting natural resources, cities she’s never been to and cooking any recipe by The Pioneer Woman.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
The Judge
By Shelby Egan
Working as an intern in the environmental field has its perks, like being able to learn about how to protect the earth and gaining insight on how to make a difference in my local community, but this week’s task was different. I volunteered as a science fair judge for 7th grade students in Chicago. Although I am not a scientist, I learned many new things from these students that I never knew about in middle school. Cool projects included testing which type of water (distilled, bottled, or tap) left one’s hair softer after washing it, and learning which type of cat food is easiest for a cat to digest (don’t worry no real cats were involved!). Other intriguing projects included testing how temperature of water affects the rate at which an Alka Seltzer tablet dissolves. The most interesting thing about hearing about each student’s project was to see how unique each experiment was. No two projects were the same, and students were able to tap into their creative, scientific interests and learn something new! So the next time you have a science fair or a school project that involves the environment, explore your favorite interests and create a new experiment!
Shelby Egan is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for protecting natural resources, cities she’s never been to and cooking any recipe by The Pioneer Woman.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
Career Advice from Marta
Marta Fuoco
By: Kelly Siegel
When I was young I always had an interest in the environment. Every summer, my family would take vacations to Bayfield, Wisconsin, a small town on Lake Superior. I loved swimming in Lake Superior and being able to see the sand bottom. Bayfield is also home to the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. This is a special place to me, and a place that I hope can be preserved forever.
Now, that I am interning at the Environmental Protection Agency, I see firsthand what goes into protecting our environment and national treasures like the Apostle Islands. I wanted to learn more about specific careers at the EPA, so I sat down with Marta Fuoco to learn more about her job.
What is your position at the EPA?
I am a Senior Scientist in the Air and Radiation Division in the Air Monitoring and Analysis Section.
What is a typical day like for you?
Typically, my day includes data analysis of criteria and toxic pollutants – specifically hydrogen sulfide and methane.
What is the best part of your job?
I get to work with a great set of knowledgeable coworkers who share many of the same interests. In addition, it is a great feeling to see measureable results that positively impact the health and environment of the communities that we work with.
Did you always have an interest in the environment?
I have always had an interest in the environment, but more specifically on the public health side. My deeper interest came from the classes I took in graduate school.
What classes did you take in school that you use on the job today?
I use skills from the many classes I’ve taken, going as far back as high school, such as chemistry and math, as well as information from graduate school classes, such as industrial hygiene, environmental and occupational health, and statistics.
Do you have any advice for kids today who have an interest in protecting our environment?
Start small! Pay attention to what you do on a daily basis in your own life. Take the necessary steps to recycle or use green products and observe how the environment affects your health. Look out for Air Quality Action Days and respond accordingly to help protect the environment.
Kelly Siegel is a student volunteer in the EPA’s Air and Radiation Division in Region 5, and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Policy at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has a passion for sustainable development, running, and traveling with friends.
Editor's Note: The opinions expressed in Greenversations are those of the author. They do not reflect EPA policy, endorsement, or action, and EPA does not verify the accuracy or science of the contents of the blog.
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