A Green University

Transcript

I’m so excited about this one. Jose is a mechanical engineering senior with a sustainability focus. He was drawn to UTD thanks in part to his sister who is a Comet before him, but also because of his interest in wind energy and all things that can help the environment including bees. Oh, and he studied renewable energy in Iceland during his time here at UTD. How cool is that? I’ll pass it over to you, Jose.

– Thanks, Alex. Hey, y’all, a big influence in my college search was my older sister, who also studied mechanical engineering here at UTD. Through her, I learned about the wind energy research here, which made me very excited as I’m very passionate about sustainability. My freshman year I joined a wind energy research lab and the environmental conservation organization, and I’ve been a nature nut ever since. I love how I’ve been able to combine my interest in sustainability and engineering here. Now, I’m team co-captain and founder of Comet Wind, our school’s wind energy club that competes in the Department of Energy’s Collegiate Wind Competition. Through Comet Wind, we get students of all majors involved and excited about clean energy. I’ve even learned about renewable energy when I studied abroad in Iceland. An unforgettable experience, especially right before my internship at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. On campus, one of my favorite classes ever was about intersectional environmentalism, and the classroom, Dallas’ Trinity River Audubon Center. It’s not every day you get to go bird watching with your professor. For more chances for hands-on learning, UTD offers many sustainability volunteer opportunities. You can grow your own vegetables at the community garden. Manage a micro farm at the Eagle Hub where the produce gets donated to our food pantry, the Comet Cupboard, and even harvest local honey from our on-campus beehives. I’ll be graduating with Sustainability Service Honors thanks to all of these green initiatives. UTDs Green community has given me the chance to pursue my interests, make a positive impact, and share ideas with like-minded individuals. I feel more prepared than ever to pursue a career in sustainability. If you wanna learn about sustainability, UTD is a great school to grow your mind and your plans. Back to you, Alex.

– Jose, it sounds like your sister led you to the right university! What a tremendous time you’ve had at UTD taking advantage of all the university has to offer from its LEED Certified buildings, the Eco Hub, wind Energy Research, and bees. Now I have some honey to go with my barbecue later on. Thanks a lot, Jose!