William Koehne, University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
This content was created by an EHS intern to describe intern experiences. It has not been revised or edited to conform to agency standards. The findings and conclusions are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
SUPEH Intern, Summer 2014
As a Summer Undergraduate Program in Environmental Health intern in the National Center for Environmental Health I engaged in a wide variety of different activities through the Summer Undergraduate Program in Environmental Health. My main project was to improve Environmental Health Training in Emergency Response (EHTER) course. The first part of this was to help develop an Environmental Health Go-Kit, a small collection of supplies that a team of five or six could easily carry in order to properly assess health and safety risks in an area impacted by a disaster. After some brainstorming with my supervisor Joe Laco, I completed this section of the project and submitted it to my supervisor.
The second part of my EHTER assignment focused on developing a tool to be used in assessing buildings for environmental health risks after a disaster. Based off of the teachings in the EHTER course as well as other environmental health perspectives, the final product was a comprehensive, easy-to-use one-page checklist that contained all important environmental health problems that might be encountered, ranging from sewage disposal to mold to pests and vectors. Besides this, the objects assessed were placed into a logical order that emphasized safety of the assessor by viewing the building’s surroundings and any structural issues or other factors such as gas leaks or downed power lines. Created alongside this was a simple instruction sheet detailing what each section indicated in case of any confusion on the part of the assessor.
I also participated in a number of smaller projects throughout the summer. One example of this was in relation to a survey of U.S. city pest and vector control programs that will be performed in the future in part by my supervisor. I had the opportunity to assist at the very beginning stages of the project by doing some simple online research of current rodent and vector control practices of the five largest U.S. cities. After this I also collaborated with another intern to complete a preliminary literature review of vector control programs’ policies and effectiveness.
In addition to projects, I also had the chance to engage in many learning opportunities through the internship throughout the summer. Examples of these opportunities included evaluating the built environment around Atlanta, participating in a 3-day integrated pest management workshop, and touring the CDC emergency operations center. I connected with employees at CDC and set up meetings to discuss career development and potential routes for further education. Because of meetings with the internship program leaders and other professionals at CDC, I have gained a clearer understanding of what I wish to engage in for the future.
My professional and educational plans following the end of this appointment are not concrete as of yet but I have a vastly better idea of what I wish to do in the future. I am currently on track to graduate next May with a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Public Health and plan to apply for a fellowship such as the Public Health Associates Program. After working as a fellow for 1 or 2 years I then plan on going to graduate school for a policy- or administration-related degree such as an MBA, MPA, or MPP. After this point I hope to either start a career in the public or private sector or become a fellow in another program such as the Presidential Management Fellows program. This plan I formulated during my internship at CDC has made me feel very confident in the future of my career. I am glad to have been part of the Summer Undergraduate Program in Environmental Health Internship and know that the knowledge and experience I’ve gained here will aid me in the future.