NYU’s Sustainability Internship Grant Launches Green Careers

Milo Castronovo, a sophomore Biology major at the College of Arts and Science, interned at the Oakland Zoo with help from the Sustainability Internship Grant. They cared for the zoo’s primates and assisted in habitat maintenance. What’s more, they studied the zoo’s involvement in sustainability initiatives like habitat restoration and population protection. 

Milo’s home state of California inspired them to pursue a sustainability-related career. Growing up in the Bay Area, drought conditions were near constant, and devastating wildfires became increasingly common. “Witnessing these indisputable, horrific effects of climate change made me see the critical need to change our actions,” Milo says. 

Though Milo enjoyed all of their internship’s responsibilities, one assignment felt especially meaningful. “Under the supervision of my lead zookeeper, I spent a significant amount of time completing a project to research, test, and develop new forms of enrichment for the gibbons and baboons,” they say. “It was very rewarding to see something I made directly improve the quality of life of the animals in our care.” 

The Sustainability Internship Grant offered Milo more than just financial support throughout the summer. It also involved a series of workshops with other grant recipients and individuals from the NYU Office of Sustainability. “These sessions allowed us to meet, share our goals, and support each other,” Milo says. “They also gave us a valuable opportunity to hear from people who built a career in sustainability and learn from their experiences.”

Sasha Getz, a Gallatin sophomore studying the intersection of politics, environmentalism, economics, and morality, traces her interest in a sustainability-related career to middle school. That was when she visited the Philadelphia Energy Solutions refinery. The factory was responsible for toxic emissions in the area and contributed to serious health conditions, including the cancer diagnosis of her friend’s mother. “I was forced to wonder if the refinery was responsible,” she says. “From that moment on, I saw environmental issues, racial inequality, and health disparities as inextricably linked.”

Sasha used the Sustainability Internship Grant to help fund her summer internship at Butterfly Network, a healthcare company that circulates lead-free and price-efficient ultrasound devices. Eliminating lead removes the need for the unethical practice of lead mining, which exposes those nearby to pollutants. As an intern Sasha’s responsibilities spanned communications, research, grant applications, legal analysis, and report writing.

“The coolest project I worked on was applying for the prestigious Prix Galien Award,” she says. “For the past three years, other employees had applied, but had not received it. By reframing our application with a new focus on environmental justice initiatives, we won this year when I completed the application. This was a great honor and showed me I can do big things.”