Erin was part of a team at Hewlett-Packard that investigated using biodegradable corn-based material to manufacture the shell of a printer.

The Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT) is an online tool that helps people select and compare computers based on their environmental performance.  In my job as the EPEAT Registry Services Manager, I manage EPEAT’s Quality Assurance programs, including designing and managing the execution of EPEAT’s regular Verification Investigations. These investigations of the product registry, carried out by independent contractors, include multiple levels and types of inquiry, from reviews of documentation, to investigation of supply chain controls, down to the physical disassembly and testing of products bought on the open market.

I chose engineering because I really like using my brain. I was drawn to solving problems and fixing things.

Reviewing EPEAT declarations to assure that manufacturers are accurately representing how green their products are.  Communicating with a team investigating the accuracy of manufacturer's declarations.  Researching new and existing EPEAT criteria.

Getting your engineering degree teaches you to fully use your brain. My background is in industrial engineering, but my analytical-thinking skills are applicable to my whole life. I have used my skills in manufacturing engineering jobs and marketing jobs, and also in my current job as EPEAT Registry Services Manager.

Being chosen as an Earth Innovator by the Sierra Club. My work on the HP Deskjet 6540 printer which is highly recyclable and won many awards.

I am married and have three small children - a daughter and twin boys. We also have a cat and four chickens.

I want my work in sustainable design to be part of a larger sustainable design revolution.

My brother got his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering so I got to see what being an engineer was like. The Northwest Earth Institute courses that I have taken have guided me toward environmental work.

My favorite author is Charles de Lint. He writes both young adult and adult fiction. His work is extremely inspiring to me. His writing takes me away and brings me back feeling happy and ready to create. I recommend his books highly. I started playing bass guitar a few years ago and I am working on writing a rock opera about mermaids.

Go for it! Being an engineer doesn't mean you can't have a life. You can be an engineer and have a social life and a family too. My engineering degree has allowed me to be whatever I have dreamed of being.

I have a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Miami; Miami, Florida and I have an M.B.A. in Sustainable Business Practices, Bainbridge Graduate Institute; Bainbridge Island, Washington.