Despite the uncertainties and disruptions that came with the fall semester of 2020, the Energy, Environment, and Sustainability (EES) Internship Program is stronger than ever. All the program partners have continued offering various positions and adjusted some of the roles to accommodate the changes brought by the pandemic response.
In total, this semester, the EES program is employing 23 students across 17 positions and 4 departments. Students and staff have been coming together virtually for monthly professional development sessions, which provide the opportunity for everyone to connect, catch up, and share takeaways from a selection of events the team has collectively attended.
Michelle Patterson, Internship Coordinator, shared some insights on the current status of the internship. “We are fortunate to be able to continue the EES internship program in spite of budget constraints and shifts to virtual learning. We have adapted to these changes by taking everything virtual, from our semester kickoff to our professional development offerings. We hosted an online happy hour with graduating students in May and each student was sent an EES branded glass & green Sustainability cord. For the fall, we have students attend virtual events spotlighting energy, environmental, and sustainability issues and present the highlights of the programming they attended to the EES students and partners via Zoom.”
We are so inspired and grateful to be working with such a remarkable team of students, who have been instrumental in helping us advance sustainability, environmental justice, and climate action at WashU and in the St. Louis community.
Fall 2020 EES Students

Julianne Aronson
Student Coordinator
Julianne is a sophomore at WashU in the Beyond Boundaries program with a particular interest in conservation technology. She is an environmental engineering major, and is also pursuing an art minor. Over the past few years, Julianne has been involved in conservation projects at an individual, community, and national level. Julianne is currently serving as a Student Coordinator for Tyson Conservation Corps.

Cameryn Berryhill
TCC Student Coordinator
Cameryn Berryhill is a first-year student planning to major in Environmental Analysis with a minor in writing. She is working as a Student Co-Coordinator for Tyson Conservation Corps and is excited about getting involved in sustainability and environmental research at WashU. She enjoys working with others who are passionate about conservation, loves native plants, and is always looking for new ways to get outdoors. Her interests outside of work include gardening, birding, camping, and writing.

Julia Borchers
Green Office Intern
Julia is a junior from San Francisco majoring in Environmental Biology with a minor in the Business of Social Impact. Julia took a gap year before attending WashU, and spent the fall semester working on local and national campaigns, followed by 70 days of backpacking through the Pacific Northwest this past spring. Julia interned for the Go Green Initiative, which solidified her goal of pursuing sustainability in college. Julia is so excited to work with the Green Office team in broadening the program and learning more about WashU’s commitment to sustainability.

Melena Braggs
Waste Reduction/Diversion Intern
Melena is a First Year from Belleville, IL majoring in Computer Science. Her main sustainability related interests are environmental policy and environmental justice. She is excited to create and facilitate engaging programming to further people’s knowledge of sustainability. In her free time, Melena enjoys taking pictures and watching TV.

Lauren Bruhl
Vehicle Electrification Intern
Lauren Bruhl is a sophomore double majoring in Environmental Analysis and German, and minoring in the Business of Social Impact. Lauren currently serves as the Vice President of Outreach for Net Impact, a sustainability in business club, and is a WUSA at the First Year Center. She spent the past summer interning at the NJ Department of Environmental Protection, where she initiated the GIS engineering project monitoring process at the Department. In her free time, she enjoys running, reading, and traveling. With her Office of Sustainability internship, Lauren is excited to bring electric vehicles to campus and work towards carbon neutrality through renewable energy research.

Serena Earp
Renewable Energy Intern
Serena is a sophomore from Dallas, TX studying Environmental Engineering with a minor in Energy Engineering. She is very excited to be working on the renewable energy and vehicle electrification teams this semester, with a focus on improving and monitoring the energy efficiency of campus buildings. Outside of the OOS she is also a part of the Engineers Without Borders and Net Impact groups. After working with Net Impact last year to push for greater sustainability efforts on campus, she can’t wait to see the work that the Office of Sustainability accomplishes this year.

Nicole Mut
Vehicle Electrification Intern
Nicole is a junior from Houston, Texas majoring in chemical engineering and minoring in energy engineering in order to enter the renewable energy field after she graduates. She spent her sophomore spring and following summer carrying out biofuel research and she traveled abroad to study renewable energy in Iceland. She is currently the co-president of the WashU chapter of Net Impact, a business and sustainability club. She worked in a Net Impact group on a proposal to add electric vehicles to the WashU campus fleet her sophomore year, and is excited to continue this work with the Office of Sustainability in her position on the vehicle electrification, carbon neutrality, and renewable energy team.

Ellie Rogers
Summer Associate
Ellie Rogers is a senior from Summit, New Jersey majoring in Environmental Analysis and minoring in Business of Social Impact. In her free time, she enjoys photography, writing, crocheting, and being outside. She spent her last semester in Copenhagen studying Sustainable Development. Ellie is looking forward to working with the OOS to support the development of WashU’s next Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations.

Madison Seramur
Climate Associate
Madison is a Junior majoring in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies with a politics concentration. She is minoring in Writing. She has always been passionate about climate issues and began her climate activist work in high school. She grew up near the Indiana Dunes and participated regularly in beach cleanups and other local climate events. She find climate activism enriching and incredibly important because climate change is one of the most pressing issues we are currently facing. She enjoys spending time in nature, creating art, writing, and engaging with peers.

Yash Singh
Renewable Energy Intern
Yash is a sophomore from Cincinnati, Ohio majoring in Chemical Engineering with minors in Energy Engineering and Computer Science. Yash currently serves as the president of Student Sustainability Board and is a member of Engineers without Borders. Yash is looking forward to helping campus offices become more sustainable as a Green Office Intern with OOS.

Elizabeth Sklaire
Summer Associate
Elizabeth Sklaire is a sophomore from Bethesda, Maryland studying Chemical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering Science. She is inspired by the opportunity for students to make impacts on sustainable developments both inside and outside of St. Louis. With regards to specific environmental initiatives, she is passionate about both water remediation and alternative energy sources. On campus, she participates in the Engineers Without Borders Local Project and Club Running. In her free time, she enjoys running, hiking and anything chocolate-related.

Valerie Viteri
Engagement Specialist Intern
Valerie Viteri is a junior student from New York City majoring in Chemical Engineering and minoring in Energy Engineering. She is excited to learn more about the sustainability projects on campus, especially those involving renewable energy and carbon neutrality. She hopes to keep developing her passions, exploring her interests, and enhancing the community. She enjoys playing sports, spending time with friends, and caring for her succulents in her spare time.
If you are interested in pursuing an internship in the field of sustainability at WashU, click the button below to stay up-to-date on openings for Spring 2021. If you have any questions, please reach out to Michelle Patterson, Internship and Business Coordinator.