The St. Edward’s University Facilities Department is thrilled to introduce to you the newest member of our team: Ellie Blair. Ellie was selected to represent our university as the Environmental Health & Safety Intern. As a current graduate student in the fourth cohort of the Masters of Science in Environmental Management and Sustainability program (MSEM), Ellie has made it clear she is ready to pursue a more sustainable, environmentally friendly future here in Austin. During her time at the Facilities Department, Ellie will aid in the implementation of numerous projects across campus, such as conducting interdepartmental environmental compliance audits, preparing the required documentation at local, state, and federal levels, developing tools to help in the collecting and analyzing of utility consumption data, and researching programs to increase recycling and reduce needless waste. She has already launched the foundation for the Environmental Management System training manual to be used in future training seminars here at St. Edward’s University, and she plans to continue to help implement systems with a goal to exponentially increase environmental sustainability across campus.
Ellie received her Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from Texas State University with hopes to pursue a career in alternative energy and environmental resource management, which made the MSEM program at St. Edward’s University the perfect option for her continued higher education. During her time at Texas State, Ellie was a leading member of Alpha Delta Pi sorority on campus, promoting and participating in numerous volunteer opportunities throughout the I-35 corridor. She also studied abroad in Germany for six months her junior year, gaining international insight on sustainable practices within different cultures, which is where her desire to pursue a career in environmental management first saw light. Ellie has since then performed research on multiple areas of interest, from sustainable building practices to carbon emissions and taxation to regulatory compliance in coastal power plants. When Ellie isn’t working or performing research, her favorite adventures consist of zip-lining, rock climbing, kayaking, hiking, and anything that involves a boat on the water with her puppies.
With a past full of international excursions, from small villages in Chiapas, Mexico, to the majority of central Europe, Ellie’s passion for both people and Earth has been the driving force in her pursuance of creating a better, more sustainable future. She is extremely excited and blessed to have been offered the opportunity to work with individuals with similar passions. This internship for Ellie is the first of many stepping stones in her ability to make a change in the way the world operates, and she is ready to take on any challenge in order to make sure St. Edward’s University becomes a leader in green campuses across the nation.
Ellie will end her internship with the Facilities Department in May 2016. She originally discovered the position through the previous intern who is also in the MSEM program. If you are interested in applying for this internship position for the following year and continuing the environmental research and work implemented to help make St. Edward’s University a smooth- running, environmentally-sustainable campus, the job posting may be found on the Handshake, or if you have any questions, feel free to contact Ellie by email.