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Katelyn Heflin
MS Environmental Policy | Energy - Waste - Circular Economy
Katelyn Heflin is a dedicated educator and creative thinker with a diverse background in energy and geopolitics research, curriculum development, and account management in the clean energy sector. Currently pursuing a Master's degree in Environmental Policy at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability, Katelyn is focusing on materials management as a climate change mitigation tool, particularly in the realm of plastics. Her passion lies in addressing environmental injustices related to plastics pollution and advocating for policies that hold manufacturers accountable for managing plastic waste. With fluency in Spanish and strong critical thinking skills, she aims to contribute to a more equitable and circular future post-graduation in 2024.
Highlights
Exciting news! This May I will be graduating with my Master's degree in Environmental Policy from the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS). 🎓
My time at SEAS has been invaluable in so many ways. As we think about building a more sustainable future, we must ask ourselves for whom, and ensure we are centering equity in the solutions to the many challenges and injustices in front of us. This has been central to many of my learnings at SEAS.
My Master's program has been truly interdisciplinary. I've taken courses ranging from policy, environmental justice, urban sustainability and industrial ecology, to ecology, statistics, and economics. I've also had the opportunity to take courses in the public policy, law, and business schools. The interconnected environmental and social challenges we face today require an "every tool in the toolbox" approach. I am graduating SEAS feeling like the more I know, the less I know - a reflection of how my Master's education has taught me to embrace nuance and complexity and work across disciplines with creativity.
Perhaps the most rewarding experience of graduate school has been the brilliant and passionate people I have had the pleasure of meeting and working with. I look forward to working in the sustainability space with you all for decades to come.
As I graduate I am seeking policy advocacy, policy analysis, consulting, or municipal government (as examples) employment related to materials management such as Extended Producer Responsibility and circular recovery strategies. Our production and consumption patterns (notably in the Global North) are significant drivers of climate and ecological collapse. I am seeking work in materials management that focuses on valuing "waste" as a resource, that upholds the hierarchy of the "R's" ♻, and that centers equity. I am sharing with you, my network, so you may keep me in mind for future opportunities.
Cheers!
I am thrilled to share that I have been accepted as a delegate at the 11th University Scholars Leadership Symposium organized by @Humanitarian Affairs Asia representing the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability. I look forward to collaborating with young leaders from around the world, attending workshops from 10 UN agencies, volunteering during Kindness Day, and sharing my passion for tackling the plastics production/pollution crisis. #UNYouth2023
Thank you, Humanitarian Affairs Asia for this incredible opportunity.
#LeadershipSymposium #UnitedNations #USLS2023 #PositiveChange #Youth2030
