Career Fair Sustainability Initiative

Allyson M. Zurawski, PE
Environment & Land Manager
LafargeHolcim US, A Member of Holcim Group

How is your job related to climate and/or sustainability?
LafargeHolcim US is one of the world’s largest producers of cement and concrete, resulting in huge impacts to the environment. Sounds counterintuitive to climate and sustainability, right? Well, the company as a whole is working to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by using alternative fuels and renewable energy sources, and has joined The Climate Pledge, committing to net zero carbon emissions across our businesses by transitioning towards low-carbon construction. On a smaller scale, I have been working directly with renewable energy developers to install solar fields at some of our old, exhausted quarries. These solar fields provide a source of renewable energy, help offset the energy used by our local industrial facilities, and contribute to LafargeHolcim US’ sustainability initiatives.

What training (in higher education or at a company or organization) was particularly important to enabling your work?
My first job out a college was as an engineering consultant for a small consulting firm where I managed projects for different companies/industrial facilities and coordinated with regulatory agencies on permitting issues. Now, I work for a huge corporation where I am the only environmental manager responsible for the permitting and environmental compliance at 5 to 10 different facilities. Having that small company training enabled me to develop the skills to work independently, and with a sense of confidence, at LafargeHolcim US.

What advice do you have for people looking for careers in climate and/or sustainability?
My favorite thing to say when I see trash on the ground is “job security”. Although I say this jokingly, there is some truth to this statement. With a career in climate and/or sustainability, you are never going to be short of work. As the world aims to “go green” and becomes more environmentally conscious, careers in climate and/or sustainability will always be available and can mean many different things. Whether you are in an industrial setting trying to minimize a company’s impacts on the environment or building wind turbines, careers related to climate and/or sustainability are diverse and dynamic.

Anything else you’d like to add?
Get as much experience as you can during college…and ask a lot of questions. I had several internships during each summer of college including undergraduate research experiences and an internship at an industrial facility. All were extremely valuable and helped me determine my path forward after college (i.e., pursue a master’s degree or jump directly into the “real world”). Looking back, I think it would have been beneficial to gain experience with a state or federal regulatory agency as well, to better understand how government agencies operate.

Margery Cortes-Clerget
Senior Research Specialist
Dow

How is your job related to climate and/or sustainability?
Early on in my studies, I was lucky to find an internship in a company delivering active ingredient for the cosmetic industry. I got my first exposure to peptide synthesis. At that time, back in 2012, I was asked, as a side project, to figure out how to make peptides without organic solvents, or at least using greener solvents. That was a thing even back then ! I did not solve this problem then, but it stayed in a corner of my mind. Later, when I joined the group of Professor Lipshutz at the University of California, Santa Barbara, as a postdoc, I naturally wanted to address this. I developed a 1-pot, 2-step deprotection/coupling peptide synthesis in an aqueous micellar solution. I later developed a surfactant specifically designed for peptide synthesis, that is now explored in several companies, including Greentech, who sponsored this research. My postdoc also opened the doors to a 1-year postdoc position at Novartis, Switzerland. Micellar catalysis is expending in the pharmaceutical industry, and my role was to support the implementation of this technology at scale, for drug synthesis. But this is during my postdoc at UCSB that I had the chance to participate to a DOW campus recruiting interview, which led to my current position as a Senior Research Specialist. It turned out that my background in Green Chemistry and my strong interest in Sustainability was one of the trigger to hire me. Today at Dow, I am involved in the development of biodegradable materials for Home and Personal Care, and I am also very active within the Dow sustainability network. It is clear that Green Chemistry and Sustainability is in the spotlight of chemical companies, from pharma to material science.

What training (in higher education or at a company or organization) was particularly important to enabling your work?
I only attend one (optional) Green Chemistry course during my education, because there was not much offering at the time. I am glad to see that more educational contents are available nowadays. My exposure during my postdocs really planted the seed and shaped my mindset so I decided to pursue additional courses either through Coursera or EDX, and I started the "Green Chemistry and Chemical Stewardship Certificate Program" from the University of Washington. The knowledge I acquired then helps me to understand my company's sustainability goals, and helps me to shape my research so it can align with them. I can also apply this knowledge in the Sustainability network, especially for developing tools and share educational contents to a broader audience.

What advice do you have for people looking for careers in climate and/or sustainability?
It is important to have the big picture in mind. We don't want to replace a technology that is detrimental to the environment by one that is even worst, or has a negative societal impact. Environmental, societal and economical aspects have to work together. Looking at and understanding Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is also important. While one step can be improved, it should not have a negative impact up or down the line. The main advice I have is to stay informed. Sustainability is a relatively new concept in industry, so we learn something new every day. Self-education is key to stay up-to-date. Finally, being passionate about this is everything. Don’t pursue this type of career because it is the trend, do it because it is part of your core value.

Peter Klement
Senior Director—Digital Enterprise Advisory Lead
Avanade

How is your job related to climate and/or sustainability?
Within my Digital Enterprise Advisory Practice, we have created a dedicated Responsible Business team, to help our clients in achieving their UN Sustainable Development Goals

What training (in higher education or at a company or organization) was particularly important to enabling your work?
Inspiration came through the L-Lab course of Peter Senge at MIT Sloan. Learning through engaging with subject matter experts globally in this area, including participation in webinars and workshops. Those SMEs were with organizations like UN-FCCC, FairTrade International and several MIT institutions like the MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium, MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative and MIT Energy Initiative.

What advice do you have for people looking for careers in climate and/or sustainability?
Be patient. Be strategic. Be creative. Think differently about finding opportunities. Embed yourself in relevant communities of interests, where you learn and contribute. Build your personal brand and become a thought leader.

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