UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Undergraduate students now can learn the fundamentals of environmental health and safety, thanks to a new minor offered by Penn State’s John and Willie Leone Family Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering (EME).
The Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) minor — open to any undergraduate student at the University — could be particularly beneficial to students who plan to pursue a career in engineering or the physical sciences. However, any undergraduate student interested in addressing the problems that impact the safety and health of their communities should consider the minor.
EHS professionals identify applicable hazards to people’s health and safety, assess risks, and then apply system design techniques to mitigate the likelihood or severity of those hazards. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are expected to be 1,500 available jobs per year for health and safety engineers and more than 18,000 for occupational health and safety specialists over the next decade.
Jeremy Gernand, associate professor of environmental health and safety engineering and program chair of Environmental Systems Engineering, said the new minor will help prepare Penn State students for successful careers in a critical discipline that affects many industries and professions.
“While there are individual courses related to safety or environmental health across many departments and campuses at Penn State, this unifying curriculum will allow students to fortify their skills and knowledge in this area,” Gernand said. “This minor will open doors to new career opportunities.”
Luis F. Ayala H., William A. Fustos Family Professor in Energy and Mineral Engineering and department head, said the department’s focus on health and safety is an important aspect that makes EME a unique, collaborative community.
“We are one of the few interdisciplinary departments in the world where engineers can study all diverse aspects of energy — mining, petroleum, renewable systems or energy markets,” Ayala said. “This minor reflects Penn State’s commitment to educating engineers and scientists who can navigate the complex challenges of safety, risk and sustainability across the entire energy landscape. Preparing students to lead in fields that safeguard people and the environment is core to our mission.”
Students interested in the EHS minor can visit the Penn State Bulletin page to learn more about how this program can benefit their future career goals and program requirements. Students who wish to declare the minor can do so via the “Update Academics” feature in LionPATH.