McWane Ductile – New Jersey's Assistant Environmental Manager Steve Hertkorn has dedicated his free time to the education of the next generation of environmental professionals.
In 2024, Hertkorn returned to his alma mater, Delaware Valley University (DelVal), as an adjunct professor, leading the Intro to Environmental Remediation and Sustainability courses. According to Hertkorn, DelVal's environmental program was struggling and shrinking, and didn't have great avenues to transition students into the environmental world, so Hertkorn returned to be a resource for the students and help them gain a passion for protecting the environment and community.
“With the McWane Way Environmental Principle in mind, teaching the next wave of environmental professionals entering the workforce is one of the most important actions for ‘Protecting our communities’,” says Hertkorn. “The course gives me the opportunity to raise awareness, pass on information and experience, create connections and networking opportunities, and develop a passion for environmental work in the students.”
Hertkorn's course is an introduction to the process of assessing and remediating the hazards posed by environmental contamination. As part of the course, each year he takes the remediation students to tour the local Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Superfund site. The tour, led by EPA representatives, showcases how the student's course material applies in a real-world situation. Students can also meet and network with members of the EPA, Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Army Corp of Engineers, and environmental contractors and consultants.
During one of the visits, a member of the EPA shared insight that environmental professionals are more passionate about their work and cause compared to many other fields because the work they do goes beyond yourself, and even beyond the facility where you work. As professionals, we aim to protect not just the company, but also our resources and the community, and the actions we take hold significant value as each step is impactful and goaled for the greater good.