An interview with Gaurav Uppal- Pratt School of Engineering, C/O 2020
What led to you being involved in a sustainability internship?
One of the reasons I chose Duke for engineering was the international opportunities. I wanted to learn about the world and see if there was anything I could contribute to a larger community outside of my hometown. Because of this, I joined Duke Engineers for International Development (DEID) my freshman year, and went on a trip to Honduras with them during my first summer. I absolutely loved the trip, my team, and the work that we were doing. We worked mainly on greywater filtration projects, and I became fascinated by projects that seemed to address environmental concerns of communities while also creating jobs and sustaining themselves over time. This, combined with my love for both machines and the natural environment, got me interested in focusing my undergraduate education on the intersection of technology, sustainability, and social change. Other influencers were Project Change, which pushed me to think about ethics in my life, and the Grand Challenge Scholars program within Pratt.
How is your career/internship related to sustainability? What are your responsibilities?
Since I’m still finalizing my post-grad plans, I’ll focus on my internships. My past two internships were focused on sustainability - one was an independent DukeEngage project with an NGO in Indonesia called IBEKA that focuses on renewable development, and one was with GE Renewable Energy on their Wind Advanced Technology team. At GE, my responsibilities were primarily technical work--I created predictive models with a team of data scientists and engineers that would help us forecast environmental conditions of wind farms before they occurred. This can allow for increased energy production and an overall lower cost of electricity, which can continue to make wind energy more competitive with its fossil fuel alternatives. With IBEKA, my work was more focused on interviewing villagers about their economic conditions, then brainstorming and prototyping projects with the local engineers/developers that would try to align economic productivity with environmental sustainability.
Was your major related to sustainability in any way?
I’ve studied Mechanical Engineering at Duke, which has internal courses and focuses on thermodynamics, heat transfer, and energy systems. My senior design is focused on designing a floating solar PV system for a utility client, so I have definitely been able to integrate my sustainability interests with my major. I do wish that I had taken more classes related directly to environmental issues outside of my major, and perhaps done the Energy & Environment certificate (I did I&E instead, which was also enjoyable but more broad).
What resources did you use to get into contact with your first sustainability employers?
I used the Energy Initiative and LinkedIn mostly. My interests have been in the future of infrastructure, and I am excited about how energy and environment play a role in that future. By creating my narrative, practicing it to myself, and pitching myself to professionals, I was able to find awesome opportunities for my summers. Just show up, be honest about who you are/what you know, and bring the energy + preparation to the recruiting game. The rest is out of your hand, but things should work out eventually.
What do you recommend to students to do to learn more about careers in sustainability?
People, people, people! Try to get proximity to people who do things that interest and inspire you--not just the specific projects they work on but their day-to-day and the skillsets they learn. The best ways to get close to people a few years out of Duke or other similar schools is through opportunities like small career interest mixers (think Energy Mix), student competitions and classes, and LinkedIn cold messages + informational interviews. If you find people who care about the same things that you do, you can find out more about opportunities for internships, jobs, or co-curricular projects that you might love. You’ll also have mentors and friends going forward who can help you out if you have any questions along the way. Don’t feel that you have to run blind into the internship/job search -- so many people love to share the advice they’ve picked up through their own journeys, so just try to find them.
What do you hope to accomplish going forward when it comes to a career in sustainability?
To be honest, I’m not sure yet. I am definitely someone who feels strong pulls in multiple directions, and it can be tough to manifest that into a singular future in my mind. For me, finding the right role on a team is very important, so building professional skills that matter to me will be the first step. I want to become a great team leader who understands products and how they affect the world, and then take that knowledge and focus it on sustainability and energy issues. Since my career goals are convoluted and ever-evolving, I want to stay engaged in environmental and environmental justice movements outside of work within my communities throughout my life. I’ve realized that even though it sounds great to add up all your interests into a dream role (i.e. product manager at an energy technology social enterprise with local and international projects), reality isn’t always what you predict it to be, and you can always keep at your life passions outside of work. I plan on voting right, lowering my own carbon footprint, and being involved in important initiatives in my community throughout my life.