Shaun Lavin
Shaun Lavin – UK Recycling Intern 2022-2023
Sustainability has been a passion of mine for as long as I can remember, and it continued to grow after I attended a sustainability event my first week on campus at UK. There, I learned about an opportunity to get involved with recycling promotions at UK home football games.
I had no intention of working during my first semester so I could focus on school and getting involved in clubs, but I could not pass up this opportunity. As I learned more about what was recyclable on campus and all of the efforts that go into supporting sustainability, I was hooked.
After the 2021 football season, a student worker position opened on the UK Recycling team and I applied for the job. I was primarily driving trucks, picking up batteries from the hospitals, and assisting with other recycling efforts around campus. It was not glamorous work by any means, but I enjoyed knowing that I was making a difference and my passion continued to grow stronger.
Going into my sophomore year (2022-2023), I became an intern in UK’s Sustainability Internship Program with UK Recycling. In this role, I worked on and developed sustainability related programs. My biggest accomplishments were the Brown Paper Towel Composting Program and the Residence Hall Food Waste Program.
I joined the Student Sustainability Council (SSC) in the spring of 2023 as an At-Large Member. The SSC collects funds from student fees and distributes them to any member of the University of Kentucky community with an approved idea to make campus more sustainable. After my first semester on the council, I was elected to be the Director of Development for the 2023-2024 school year. In this role, I made sure the council followed our constitution and made changes to the constitution as necessary. Now, for the 2024-2025 school year, I serve as the Director of Operations. In this role, I lead SSC meetings and communicate with proposers. Serving on the SSC has allowed me to see and support new sustainability efforts on campus while giving me real world management, communication, and public speaking experience.
I am an Electrical Engineering major pursuing a Power and Energy Certificate. Sustainability is one of the first aspects I look at when considering a career. Working for a company with strong sustainability goals and a strong sustainability plan is extremely important to me.
I began my engineering career working as a Distribution Intern for Louisville Gas and Electric and Kentucky Utilities (LG&E and KU) from May 2023 – January 2024 before transitioning to a Research and Development internship with their parent company, PPL. In my role at PPL, I work with renewable energy technologies such as wind, solar, electric vehicles, and battery energy storage systems. I use my sustainability background on a daily basis in this position while working to reduce emissions.
Having a meaningful positive impact on the environment is my top priority, and wherever I end up working, I intend to use my electrical engineering degree to aid in the clean energy transition. I enjoy working on projects such as electric vehicles, battery energy storage systems, and renewable energy technologies that allow me to assist in the reduction of reliance on fossil fuels.
While integrating sustainability and reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the power industry will be a challenge, it is one that I am willing to take on and conquer!
