AEHAP Student of the Month Profile Template
Name: Daniel Trimner
Graduation Year: 2017
School University of Wisconsin -Oshkosh
Introduction (provide a 2-3 sentence biography-sketch):
I am from a small farming town Athens, WI. I became an EH major after my Sophomore year switching from Medical Technology. I have been a track athlete for all four years qualifying for three national meets and being a 2 time all-American. (top 8 in the country) I have also held a job during those four years while maintaining a 3.3 GPA.
Please answer the following questions:
1. Why did you choose an environmental health career?
I have loved the sciences for as long as I can remember, especially biology. I always knew I would end up in that field somehow but I just assumed it would be in the medical field. However, after being stuck in a three-hour lab staring through a microscope the entire time I knew I needed a change. That’s when my professor told me about the EH major. It had everything I could want. There was a little bit of lab science which I loved as well as a healthy mix of outdoor activity and human interaction. It was a perfect match for my outgoing personality and love for the sciences. After my intro to Environmental Health course I knew I had made the correct decision.
2. What do you like most about the EH program you are in?
I enjoy the broad spectrum field of learning. Our curriculum at UWO lets us get a taste of everything that the EH field has to offer. We have all of our general biology and chemistry courses as well as the six different specific fields that we are required to choose two from. They range from soil science and water resource management all the way to urban planning and vector control. It gives you the opportunity to try different things and truly find your niche in the field. I also am very glad we have an interning requirement. It forces you to get out into the work force and truly experience the field in a real world environment and understand the nuts and bolts of the field. It’s a great way to discover some of the amazing jobs that are available for EH majors.
3. What do you see yourself doing after graduation?
After undergrad I will be attending the University of Iowa to pursue a masters in Industrial Hygiene. Once I have completed that I hope to work for a consulting company working with the ag industry helping farmers to keep up with safety and risk management, employee health and also staying up to code with federal regulations. I would someday like to open my own consulting agency in the Midwest.
4. What would you like to say to potential students to recruit them into an environmental health degree program?
I would say that the EH major has endless opportunities. There are so many directions that you can go and different fields that you can pursue that if you keep an open mind you are bound to find something that you will love to do for the rest of your life. The field is constantly changing and no two days are ever the same. Becoming an EH major will be the best decision you’ve ever made.