University of Cincinnati

09/19/2025 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 09/19/2025 08:06

Working towards sustainability at Michelman

Working towards sustainability at Michelman

A graduate intern's reflection

By Kate Nicole Hoffman Email Kate NicoleEmail Kate Nicole
3 minute read September 19, 2025 Share on facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Share on Reddit Print StoryLike

This past summer, the Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS) partnered with Michelman, a global developer and manufacturer of specialized sustainable chemistry, on a new kind of internship for graduate students. The first PEWS-Michelman intern, Nishat Sultana, supported Michelman's strategic initiatives to reduce solid waste and enhance environmental sustainability. Read about her experience below!

PEWS is continuing to explore and expand internship opportunities for UC students with industry partners. Learn more about PEWS' internships and fellowships here.

UC graduate intern Nishat Sultana poses with Portia Yarborough, Chief Science & Sustainability Officer at Michelman. Photo/Michelman.

Reflection from Graduate Intern Nishat Sultana

This summer, I had the privilege of serving as a graduate student intern with Michelman, a global developer in sustainable specialty coatings, through the UC Center for Public Engagement with Science. My internship was centered on evaluating waste generation and recycling practices across Michelman's production sites in the USA, Belgium, and Singapore, with the goal of identifying practical strategies to reduce landfill disposal and enhance circularity.

Graduate intern Nishat Sultana, M.S. student in Materials Science at the University of Cincinnati. Photo/Sultana.

The experience allowed me to engage with a diverse group of stakeholders-from engineering managers and environmental health & safety leads to procurement teams and external recycling partners. Through site visits, data analysis, and one-on-one discussions, I gained valuable insight into the complexities of industrial waste management. I learned how different operational, regulatory, and cultural contexts shape waste handling practices across global sites, and how sustainability targets must be adapted to fit each location's constraints and opportunities.

By the end of my internship, I was able to deliver a structured framework for waste data collection, recommend process improvements such as designated waste management roles, and propose packaging adjustments to reduce upstream waste generation. Beyond technical learning, I developed a deeper appreciation for the role that collaboration, communication, and cultural awareness play in implementing sustainability initiatives in a corporate setting.

This internship reaffirmed my commitment to advancing sustainable manufacturing and environmental stewardship. I am grateful to PEWS and Michelman for providing the platform to apply my skills in a real-world industrial environment and to contribute to their ongoing journey toward a more sustainable future.

Learn more about internship and fellowship offerings at UC's Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS), and find other ways to get involved here!

Featured image at the top by kazuend on Unsplash.

Tags

  • Experience-based Learning
  • Innovation Agenda
  • Ohio Impact
  • Center for Public Engagement in Science
  • Next Lives Here
  • Urban Impact
  • Research

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University of Cincinnati published this content on September 19, 2025, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on September 19, 2025 at 14:06 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]