As an Environmental Engineer at General Motors Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Kendall Cuddy’s job centers around environmental compliance.

“Spring Hill is a large manufacturing complex with vehicle and engine assembly operations, which means we have a lot of monitoring and recordkeeping requirements related to our specific permits and state/federal environmental laws,” explains Cuddy, who is responsible for air permits and chemical control.

“The most rewarding part about working in manufacturing is the large scale on which you can affect change,” says Cuddy. “Spring Hill is GM’s largest North American plant, so emissions reductions or zero-waste improvements are on a much larger scale when done here. No two days are ever the same and I always feel as if I am being challenged.”

Cuddy’s primary duties include preparing reports for the state and EPA, and working closely with multiple departments on environmental improvement projects.

“Purdue EEE prepared me for the unique challenges that pop up every day in manufacturing. My last semester at Purdue, I took Dr. Andrew Whelton’s ‘Disasters and Emergencies’ course, which was the single best preparation for the everyday emergencies that come along with manufacturing.”

Cuddy’s advice to current Purdue EEE students?

“It’s okay to not enjoy an internship! One of the most valuable lessons I learned from my first internship in corporate sustainability is that it is 100% okay to pivot from a field that you don’t like. GM placed me in manufacturing for my second internship and I ended up loving it, but that wouldn’t have happened if I didn’t speak up and ask for a different challenge. Advocating for your interests is incredibly important.”