Civil and environmental engineering student draws on WSU education at summer internship

Wayne State University College of Engineering students can be found working as interns across the United States this summer. Take, for instance, civil and environmental engineering junior Rachel Malburg, who will spend the next few months working at the General Motors Baltimore Operations Plant in Baltimore, Md.

The Baltimore facility, known for its environmental initiatives such as being landfill-free, is GM's exclusive manufacturer of the two-mode hybrid transmission. As an environmental engineering intern, Malburg's assignments include helping with construction waste management for a new building, storm water pollution prevention, maintaining the wildlife habitat on the site, coordinating field events with students from a partner school, helping with projects for LEED certification, and maintaining a single stream recycling program.

Malburg is confident in her ability to perform these assignments thanks to her research experience at Wayne State. She has worked with Shawn McElmurry, assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering, testing for lead content in soil. She has also worked as a student assistant for Wayne State's Office of Campus Sustainability, which promotes the values of environmental stewardship on campus.

"Being able to work closely with professors is a great benefit," Malburg said. "I have been able to learn a lot from them and gain experience by doing research. My internship at GM will give me an opportunity to use what I've learned in a professional setting."

Malburg, who hopes to eventually work in the field of environmental engineering and eventually obtain a master's degree, is certain the combination of her education and field experience will contribute to her success.

"I think my education at Wayne State will help me achieve my goals because the College of Engineering provides many opportunities to network," Malburg said. "The college's student organizations have been very beneficial and my involvement in the American Society of Civil Engineering's (ASCE) concrete canoe and steel bridge competitions have allowed me to learn a lot about civil engineering, apply what I have learned, and meet other civil engineering students."

In addition to her involvement in the ASCE competitions, Malburg is a member of the Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society and will be vice president of the WSU chapters of both ASCE and the Chi Epsilon civil engineering honor society for the 2012-2013 school year.

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Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution of higher education offering more than 400 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 32,000 students. For more information about engineering at Wayne State University, visit engineering.wayne.edu.