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Emily Kuhlmann, a Master of Environmental Management student, spent her summer as a Pathways Intern in the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Each year, Nicholas School of the Environment students complete internships with organizations around the world. These internships provide valuable opportunities to gain career-related experience and build a professional network. 

51±¬ÁÏ Environment recently caught up with Emily to learn more about her experience.

What are you doing at your internship and how are you using the skills you've learned at the Nicholas School?

In my internship, I am working in the Health and Environmental Impacts Division of the Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards at the EPA. I worked with a group that does health effects and exposure modeling for risk assessments that support regulations involving the hazardous air pollutants (HAPs). I worked on various projects throughout the summer to support the group’s work, but my main project was to create an updated accounting of HAPs and health effect benchmarks in an internal database used for modeling and to create public-facing tables. I took the Air Quality Management course at the Nicholas School which was my first introduction to air quality topics, and I found that course extremely helpful in understanding the process of air pollutant regulation and the health impacts of air pollutants. My epidemiology and toxicology courses provided a good foundation for understanding the human health impacts and exposure benchmarks that I worked with, and the risk assessment course helped me understand the overall risk assessment process that is done at EPA. 

How did the Nicholas School help you during your internship search? 

I met with a career coach from the Career & Professional Development Center (CPDC) at the end of the fall semester who helped me identify interests and which internships I should apply to. 

How will this experience help you in your career? 

Entering the Federal government can be difficult, so the Pathways Internship program at EPA is a great path to a full-time career with the agency. Additionally, this internship taught me a lot about the regulatory process and air quality topics that I didn’t know about, which opens me up to a career in this field.