Student nurtures interest in sustainability through City Semester Pittsburgh

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — When Kenneth Catlin went in search of an internship with a local government focus, he eventually found exactly what he was looking for thanks to Penn State’s City Semester Pittsburgh.

Catlin, a fifth-year Penn State student majoring in political science with a minor in economics, spent the summer working as an energy benchmarking analyst for Pittsburgh’s Department of City Planning.

“I have always been drawn more towards local government and their politics,” Catlin said. “Penn State and the College of the Liberal Arts have a lot of opportunities for students interested in national and international politics. To me, City Semester Pittsburgh was one of the few programs that centered around local government.”

Overseen by Penn State Center Pittsburgh (a unit of Penn State Outreach), City Semester Pittsburgh gives students interested in urban sustainability the opportunity to participate in an internship that allows them to make valuable connections with community leaders and potential future employers. Through the program, the students become active participants in Penn State’s efforts to align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which include improving the quality of life of metropolitan areas.

During his internship, Catlin worked with the sustainability and resilience division benchmarking energy use reported by about 830 buildings across the city. Towards the end of this summer, he will put together a report on the city's energy usage and present it to his team.

He also had the opportunity to go on field trips with his team to city landmarks. One of his favorites was Wightman Park, the site of a successful green infrastructure stormwater management program.

“The city integrated the stormwater, captured into a local park, for others to enjoy,” Catlin said. “The park is this beautiful rain garden, and it was nice to see different, successful projects the department worked on.”

That experience and others allowed him to develop a more holistic approach to urban development.

“I have gained a much greater appreciation for the different functions that city planning takes,” Catlin said. “There is so much that goes into it that I was unaware of beforehand, and I would have never realized that until an internship or hands-on experience like this.”

The internship proved a “natural fit” for Catlin, whose interest in urban development and city planning was ignited by games like SimCity, he said.

“I have always had an eye towards public service,” said the Boise, Idaho, native, who spent his free time in Pittsburgh attending baseball games and checking out many of the city’s other attractions. “I want to spend my efforts in a manner that benefits society and put myself in a position where I can make some of the decisions I do not see happening now. It is necessary for me to understand the mechanisms that drive governmental decisions.”

At Penn State, Catlin serves as the president of Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society. He is working to increase the organization's visibility and connect students to opportunities in local and national politics. He also aims to work sustainability policy into the organization’s programming and events.

“I want to get students more involved with the State College borough, county government, and possibly the state government,” Catlin said. “There are huge resources and opportunities for students to be involved in government, and I do not think they always take it. I want to work on connecting those two networks together and make it easier and less daunting for some.”

Catlin met with State College’s mayor earlier this spring about implementing a bicycle advocacy program in the borough, and said he hopes to move forward with the initiative during the upcoming academic year and in the process help create a legacy for Pi Sigma Alpha. He also advocates for public transportation and reducing energy usage.

Although tackling sustainability may seem like a daunting task, Catlin believes any act done on behalf of the environment is a step in the right direction.

“No matter where your interests lie or what skills you have, there is something that you can do to help and to further the movement and cause,” he said. “It does not always have to be standing outside the Capitol building with a microphone; there are many roles and positions people can play. I would advise students to keep their eyes open and their searches broad.”