Sustainability in Action: From �鶹��Ƶ to the Ohio EPA</h1> <article> <h1>Sustainability in Action: From �鶹��Ƶ to the Ohio EPA</h1> <p>kviancou — Tue, 17 Mar 2026 16:38:30 +0000</p> <span>Sustainability in Action: From �鶹��Ƶ to the Ohio EPA</span> <span><span>kviancou</span></span> <span><time datetime="2026-03-17T12:38:30-04:00" title="Tuesday, March 17, 2026 - 12:38">Tue, 03/17/2026 - 12:38</time> </span> <div class="text-content field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><p>Isabel Hyman ’26, a <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences">geosciences</a> and <a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences">musical studies</a> major from Los Angeles, spent summer 2025 interning with the Office of Environmental Innovation at the Ohio EPA. On campus, her leadership has spanned several disciplines: co-president of the Deception Games Club, a varsity soccer player, an ExCo instructor, and a lead eco-rep in the Office of Energy and Sustainability. </p><p><strong>Can you describe your summer internship?</strong></p><p>I worked as an intern in the Office of Environmental Innovation in the Central District Office of the Ohio EPA. I primarily worked with the Pollution Prevention (P2) team, which provides free, confidential, and non-regulatory sustainability assistance.</p><p>During the summer, I visited three state parks across Ohio to support recycling, composting, and energy efficiency efforts. I assisted with site visits, report writing, developing tools for organizations to track their progress, and other team needs.</p><p>I also collaborated with colleagues and another intern to redesign the office’s website to improve navigation and better highlight its work, as the office is less than a year old. I finished my internship by writing a comprehensive guide on how students can create more sustainable college campuses, based on my experiences at �鶹��Ƶ and what I learned at the EPA.</p><p><strong>How did �鶹��Ƶ influence you to pursue your internship?</strong></p><p>My work as a lead eco-rep on campus and my boss, Heather Adelman, were the biggest influences. Eco-reps help to modify student behavior to align with �鶹��Ƶ’s sustainability and carbon neutrality goals by bridging the Office of Energy and Sustainability with the student body and leading educational initiatives. That work related to the P2 site visits I conducted at the Ohio EPA. I love the concept of helping people improve before pursuing regulatory action, as it can foster a stronger culture of sustainability.</p><p><strong>How did your internship align with your post-college goals?</strong></p><p>It opened my eyes to the ways the government can simply help people, rather than just enforcing rules. I have a much better understanding of the regulatory aspects of managing solid waste and how waste is processed. If I decide to go into waste management or pollution prevention, the skills and lessons I learned will help me transition quickly. Even if I pursue another route, I have the necessary context and expertise to help me in any job in the field. </p><p><strong>What surprised you or made a big impression?</strong></p><p>I learned just how much waste is landfilled that could be recycled, composted, or repurposed. The most landfilled item was paper, followed by organics. When organics decay in a landfill, they release large amounts of methane, a greenhouse gas. I also learned that reducing waste from the source is the number one solution to waste management. </p><p><strong>How has your liberal arts education shaped the way you think about science or research?</strong></p><p>I learned that human experiences shape how people view sustainability. There are places and parents in our country that don't teach sustainability to their children, which is why environmental education is so important. </p></div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-subhead field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Geosciences and musical studies major Isabel Hyman ’26 spent her summer helping the Ohio EPA advance recycling and environmental education across the state.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-type field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item">Campus News</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden field__item"><time datetime="2026-03-17T12:00:00Z">Tue, 03/17/2026 - 12:00</time> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-author field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Office of Communications</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-tags field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/news?tag=3897">Internship</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-departments field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__items"> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/geosciences" hreflang="und">Geosciences</a></div> <div class="field__item"><a href="/arts-and-sciences/departments/musical-studies" hreflang="und">Musical Studies</a></div> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-caption field--type-string-long field--label-hidden field__item">Isabel Hyman ’26 at the Kelley's Island Glacial Grooves in Ohio.</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-pin-school-page field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">Off</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-photo-gallery-top field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">false</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-image-credit field--type-string field--label-hidden field__item">Isabel Hyman ’26</div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-media field--type-entity-reference field--label-hidden field__item"> </div> <div class="field field--name-field-news-article-header field--type-boolean field--label-hidden field__item">0</div> </article> </main></body></html>