In the summer of 2024, Yale Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) launched a comprehensive internship program aimed at addressing the critical shortage of qualified candidates in the Environmental Health and Safety field. This initiative, supported by the Yale Administration and guided by leaders such as Deborah Stanley-McAulay and Chris Brown, provided invaluable hands-on experience to students from diverse backgrounds, including those from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and the New Haven Promise program.
Interns engaged in various projects, from environmental compliance and radiation safety to instructional design and infection control. These experiences provided practical skills and insights into the EHS profession. The program emphasized mentorship, with EHS professionals dedicating time to guide and support interns. Activities included team-building events, weekly meetings, and opportunities for interns to present their work.
“These types of opportunities are critical to the future of the EHS profession, as STEM education programs focused on teaching environmental health and safety are dwindling in size and number nationally,” said Kevin Charbonneau, EHS’s executive director. “This trend is creating a significant shortage of qualified candidates to support EHS programs in all sectors: university, medical, industry, etc.”
EHS hosted 10 summer interns across eight different EHS disciplines in four internship categories in 2024. The department hosted two additional interns from the New Haven Academy at the end of their spring semester for a three-week immersion into the health and safety profession. These internships have been created to empower and inspire the next generation of talent by offering hands-on experience and exposure to a diverse range of viable professions. These interns were able to work with staff mentors in the following disciplines:
- Biosafety
- Industrial Hygiene
- Health Physics/Radiation Safety
- Infection Prevention
- Safety Advisor Program
- Environmental Affairs
- Research Safety
- Instructional Technology
EHS also launched its inaugural internship program for science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) for students from HBCUs. Chris Brown, director of the New Haven Hiring Initiative, provided EHS with funding for a New Haven Promise intern to design marketing materials for this program in the summer of 2023. As part of this internship, EHS emailed and called 40 HBCUs with STEM programs to introduce and advertise the summer internships.
EHS also contracted with HBCU Connect, the largest network of students and alumni from HBCUs, for additional assistance with marketing the program. Additionally, EHS reached out to two graduate mentors from two HBCU schools in spring 2024 to help share information about our program.
As a result, EHS partnered with his first two HBCU interns, Nile Bennett from Miles College and Brooke Jones from Clark Atlanta University. Read more about Nile Bennett’s experience in The Birmingham Times.
“This internship has been an extraordinary experience,” Brooke Jones said of her time at EHS. “The learning opportunities, invaluable lessons, and relationships I built over the summer are truly once-in-a-lifetime. As a biosecurity intern, I gained a unique perspective on ensuring the safety of lab workers and the general public. My mentors provided me with opportunities across multiple departments within Environmental Health and Safety, allowing me to explore a wide range of experiences and gain a comprehensive understanding of the field.”
“The 2024 Yale EHS Summer Internship Program was an excellent first step in empowering and inspiring the next generation of EHS professionals,” Charbonneau said. “This program’s long-term goal is to help address the current shortage of qualified candidates and set a precedent for similar initiatives nationwide. The dedication of the Yale EHS team and the strategic support from Yale Administration were pivotal in the success of this year’s internship program.”
To learn more about the EHS 2024 summer internships, see bios on all of the interns, and read statements from each intern and their mentor, please see the 2024 Summer Internship Program Report.