SEE Spotlight Feature: Sam Howell
Employment opportunities in the field of Environmental Engineering are projected to grow 4% from 2024 to 2034. Programs within Purdue’s School of Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering (SEE) help students gain the skills they need to connect with environmental engineering employment and internship opportunities across the U.S.
This summer (2025), Purdue Environmental and Ecological Engineering (EEE) undergraduate Sam Howell worked as an Environmental Engineering Intern within the Environmental Operations group at Eastman Chemical Company in Kingsport, Tennessee.
The Environmental Operations team is responsible for environmental permitting and compliance across the Kingsport site.
Over the past two summers, Sam has worked on projects with Eastman related to the Clean Air Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH).
“These experiences have deepened my understanding of regulatory frameworks, compliance strategies, and sustainable practices at large industrial sites,” said Sam.
“Beyond the technical work, the people at Eastman made this internship truly memorable. Being surrounded by subject matter experts and over 100 interns created an engaging and supportive environment. From participating in trash cleanups for SEE trash pickup goal, attending local baseball games with interns, and even visiting Eastman’s Longview, TX facility, I’ve developed valuable professional relationships and strengthened my networking skills. Boiler Up!”
