“The EEE EAC is an excellent forum for idea sharing and it has been a pleasure to be part of this team from the beginning,” says Merritt. “I enjoy sharing my career experiences with faculty and students to continually improve Purdue’s already stellar environmental program.” 

Merritt joined Ford Motor Company in 1996. He has held several environmental positions within Ford including a three-year assignment within Ford of Europe based in the United Kingdom, as well as Facility Environmental Engineering, Manufacturing, and Vehicle Environmental Engineering positions in the U.S.

“I was fortunate to have a summer internship at Ford’s Environmental Quality Office and found the auto industry had limitless opportunities for environmental engineers,” says Merritt. 

Merritt led the development of Ford’s first global manufacturing-related CO₂, water, and waste reduction strategies. He implemented Ford’s Environmental Operating System used to optimize environmental performance and ensure compliance at manufacturing facilities worldwide and managed Ford’s environmental due diligence and remediation projects.

“I spent the majority of my career enhancing the sustainability of our manufacturing operations. I’m proud to say that we have overachieved in these goals at Ford and are now in our second and third generation of sustainability strategies,” says Merritt.

Currently, Merritt’s team leads the emissions certification process that ensures compliance with vehicle regulatory standards in North America and export markets.

“I love working for a company that genuinely cares about going above and beyond when it comes to environmental performance.”

Merritt holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering from Purdue University (1995) and an M.S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in Environmental Engineering from Stanford University (1996). He was recently featured by the Purdue College of Engineering as part of their “I Am a Purdue Engineer” alumni video series (see above).