Partnering with Worcester State College

MassDEP and Worcester State College (WSC) Health Sciences Department have joined together to develop and pilot the College Partnership Project. The College Partnership Project places a variety of talented MassDEP staff (drinking water, wastewater, air quality, etc.) and Massachusetts Department of Public Health (DPH) staff into a Worcester State College classroom. As guest lecturers (for one class session), MassDEP and DPH staff have an opportunity to present their area of expertise to the students, lead classroom discussion, communicate practical solutions to environmental problems, and generate interest in the many facets of the public health protection work that is accomplished by MassDEP.

The goal of the College Partnership Project is to create an ongoing learning community of environmental professionals, teaching professionals, and students within the state college system. The participants will increase their scientific knowledge, skills, and understanding of the natural environment through community based projects, guest lecturers, topic specific reference materials, field trips, and interaction with industry professionals. MassDEP is hopeful that some of the students will seek further training to become certified drinking water and wastewater operators or environmental professionals.

WSC Health Science faculty member Dr. Nancy Brewer said that, "This project makes sense for everyone. It provides a wonderful opportunity for the students to learn from a collection of dedicated and talented environmental professionals. It also provides the students with a group of potential mentors if they are interested in pursuing a career in the environmental field."

Topics include:

Green Pharmacy-Reducing the environmental load of Pharmaceutical and Personal Care Products (PPCPs)
Air Quality-Health Based Standards for Ozone and Fine Particles
Do Not Drink the Water - Local Board of Health and MassDEP
Water Fluoridation-Greatest Public Health Achievement of the 20th Century
MassDEP's Bacteria Source Tracking Program - From Search to Solution

Dr. Brewer expressed it best when she stated after a presentation by MassDEP employee Dr. Nicholas Anastas, "The concept of Green Pharmacy was new to almost everybody in the room. Students left energized, with critical insights and well thought out solutions regarding this important topic. After the presentation, several students who work in health care facilities reported that they approached decision makers at their places of employment to discuss how they could better dispose of pharmaceuticals. Clearly the work with WSC students was a call to action."

Yvette DePeiza, MassDEP Water Quality Supervisor, who has worked with WSC in the past, feels that the relationship between WSC and MassDEP is a perfect fit. Both WSC and MassDEP are committed to the partnership and look forward to further collaboration. For more information on this training effort, contact Michael Maynard at 508-767-2735.