Honing Engineering Skills at a Geochemistry Start-Up
Environmental Engineering: Summer Internship
During the summer of 2025, Dr. Joel Bandstra helped Sarah Hartwell, a Saint Francis University Environmental Engineering rising senior, secure an internship with an environmental geochemistry firm, Mineralogic, in Duluth, MN. Dr. Bandstra is a professor of Environmental Engineering at SFU but also works part-time as a consultant with Mineralogic, and through this work, he has been able to help students connect classroom content to real-world applications.
Throughout the summer, Sarah was able to build upon skills that she initially learned at SFU, such as coding with Python, PHREEQC, and R Studio, Excel quality assurance and control, and knowledge of land reclamation for mining practices. She also gained new experiences working with software such as PowerBI and researching rules and regulations in Minnesota. Steph Theriault, Managing Senior Geochemist and Director of Operations at MineraLogic stated, “Sarah was an excellent addition to our team this summer, and it was a bonus to have her based in our Duluth office. As a small geochemistry consulting firm, Sarah was able to work on a variety of projects and practitioners. From data quality review to coding to regulatory research, she consistently demonstrated initiative, curiosity, and delivered high-quality results, contributing real value to our company and our clients. We look forward to continuing our work with her throughout the school year.”
In addition to her major, Sarah, who hails from Grand Blanc, MI, also plays for SFU’s Women’s Water Polo team and has worked for SFU’s Center for Watershed Research and Service. In 2024, Sarah received the Environmental Engineering program’s Margaret Dunn Environmental Service Award for her contribution to the Center.
About the Environmental Engineering Program at SFU
Environmental engineering involves applying the principles of science and mathematics to protect human health, preserve ecosystem function, and steward natural resources. The ABET-accredited environmental engineering program at SFU prepares students in the fundamental theory of environmental engineering as well as in the practical applications. The curriculum includes substantial hands-on experiences in both field work and laboratory experimentation. Student-led design projects are incorporated throughout the four years of study with a culminating capstone design experience in the senior year. Engineering majors are encouraged to tailor their degree through a focused minor (Ecological Engineering , Renewable Energy Engineering, or Civil Engineering).
Learn more on the Environmental Engineering Homepage.
About the Center for Watershed Research and Service
Saint Francis University's Center for Watershed Research & Service (CWRS) is called to serve. The CWRS helps match nonprofit partners in need of assistance with faculty and students from various academic schools and degree programs. Methods include: real class projects in the service of nonprofit partners, student-professor research teams investigating fundamental and applied research questions of interest to nonprofit partners, service-learning internships pairing student interns and mentoring professors with nonprofit partners, and mobilization of the SFU student body for large volunteer events held by nonprofit partners. CWRS was founded with support from the Foundation for Pennsylvania Watersheds with funds appropriated from the 2011 GenOn Energy Inc. settlement agreement.
For more information, visit the Center for Watershed Research & Service.