Skip to main content

Monitoring Environmental Compliance with Sarah Grzyb '24

Environmental Studies
Environmental Analyst for Tepa at NAS Patuxent River
"I think my experience, particularly as an environmental studies major at SMCM, prepared me for this role by encouraging my curiosity and willingness to explore all avenues of environmentalism. From digging in the dirt at the Kate Farm to editing in the recording studio for my SMP, the staff, faculty and my fellow students helped me explore the breadth of environmental studies and to feel important in pursuing that line of work."
A person wearing sunglasses and a white turtleneck holds a bouquet of flowers outdoors on a sunny day.

After Sarah Grzyb graduated with her bachelor's degree in environmental studies, she became the College's sustainability fellow, where she was the point person on campus for the sustainability needs of the College. In just six months, she won the USDA Northeast Farmer’s Grant to fund a composting pilot study for the Kate Farm, participated in SMECO energy audits to make the Crescent and Greens Townhouses run more efficiently, and established a plan to make Kent Hall a trial facility for B100 biofuel with the College’s oil providers, Burch Oil.

She then transitioned to a new role as an environmental analyst for Tepa, a tribally-owned company providing comprehensive and sustainable solutions to federal, state, local, commercial and tribal clients. As a federal contract employee, Sarah is stationed in the Sustainability Office at Naval Air Station Patuxent River in Lexington Park, Maryland. Sarah helps ensure compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)for testing that occurs on the base. This can range from ensuring test plans have the appropriate NEPA coverage or conducting noise disturbance investigations to ensure aircraft activity is within compliant levels. Recently, she's been getting some field work in by traveling to sonic boom monitor locations across the Eastern Shore to calibrate and maintain the machinery.