October 12, 2016

For Dina Palazzolo ’15, working with the environment was a dream that started at a young age.

“Ever since I was little, I have had a passion for the environment. I have always enjoyed camping and hiking, and have always had an appreciation for nature,” she says.

A major in environmental sciences at Susquehanna was a natural fit.

Palazzolo credits Ahmed Lachhab, associate professor of earth & environmental sciences, with helping her find her passion and build her interest in environmental sciences.

“He impacted my education in such a positive way because his ground-penetrating radar and environmental geophysics classes were very in-depth, and he allowed us to utilize the equipment during lab,” she says.

An internship with Laurel Environmental Associates on Long Island, New York—where she performed environmental inspections on residential homes, commercial buildings and industrial warehouses—led to a job offer before she had even started her senior year.

She’s been working there ever since. Recently promoted to Environmental Scientist II, Palazzolo conducts remediation work on soil, soil vapors and groundwater to make sure there are no environmental hazards affecting the water and soil people come in contact with every day.