My Summer

By Vincent DeLuca

This summer has been a very cool experience for me.  I initially had no background in stormwater, but after researching and talking with experts for 9 weeks I feel comfortable with the subject material.  I enjoyed starting from the bottom and slowly learning more and more.  Sustainable Princeton gave me a fair amount of creative freedom to conduct research in ways that worked for me.  My favorite part was being able to connect it to everyday life by talking about the material with family members.  I helped my Mom with FEMA maps for our flood insurance, questioned my brother about Elevation Certificates because of his civil engineer background, and discussed MS4s + CSSs (sewer systems) with my Dad since he worked with the water department.  This summer has taught me that I while I enjoy having some structure, I thrive in work conditions where I am not heavily restricted.

Date posted: August 19, 2019 | | Comments Off on My Summer | Uncategorized

A Day in the Life of a Sustainable Princeton Intern

By Vincent DeLuca

This summer, I have been interning at the nonprofit Sustainable Princeton through ProCES Derian. My focus has been on storm water management and flood mitigation. I came into this summer with no experience in this field so it has been a great learning experience. I have been tasked with researching a FEMA program that could lower premiums for policyholders on their flood insurance, studying water infrastructure and manually uploaded coordinates to improve the town’s ArcGIS system, and researching the costs of storm water utilities and green infrastructure. I work between my dorm, the library, and the office in Monument Hall.

Throughout the summer I have been lucky enough to meet with storm water experts from the area. These include individuals from the Watershed Institute, FEMA, and Princeton’s town government. I was also able to attend the 2019 Sustainable Summit, an event put together by Sustainable Jersey that involved 57 organizations and companies coming together to collaborate and share ideas.

The members of Sustainable Princeton have been very supportive and they make me feel like a part of their team. I really enjoy working in the office with them and the other interns.

 

Date posted: July 26, 2019 | | Comments Off on A Day in the Life of a Sustainable Princeton Intern | Sustainability & Resilience