Emily Petri Davis works as an environmental specialist in east Texas and northwest Louisiana, but it was when she was studying abroad in the south of France that she fell in love with the discipline.
The University of Texas student was so inspired by the lively discussions in her course on engineering standards in a global environment that she changed her major to environmental science when returning to the U.S.
How did a class on engineering standards shape your interest in environmental studies?
Before I studied abroad, I was not aware of or knew what environmental engineering or environmental studies entailed. My coursework in France was the first exposure to this unique area of study. I felt it blended my favorite and strongest subjects, biology, chemistry and math. In addition, when studying in France we had a class focused on energy around the world and this really spurred my interest.
How did your career path in environmental science unfold after college?
After I graduated college, I thought I was going to change the world working for the state or EPA. I quickly learned I was not the best at adapting to the constant change in political agendas and started looking at industry opportunities. After a few years in consulting, I landed my first job at an oil and gas company. I soon recognized how powerful my voice was in areas of environmental compliance and finally felt, wow I am making change; this is what I dreamed when I graduated college.
As I became more invested in the role and understanding the real world of environmental practices, I became very passionate about the education around environmental topics. This led me to east Texas and northwest Louisiana where I had the opportunity to truly help build out an environmental compliance program and also spread educational awareness on environmental topics.
What does a typical day look like as an environmental specialist?
As an environmental specialist, a routine day is not in our vocabulary! Each day brings new challenges, and we must be vigilant in our communication with our team and our customers. We are tasked with ensuring compliance with federal, state and local environmental regulations along with our own company policies. I personally enjoy the non-routine workload as each day is different and provides us ample opportunity to work in the field alongside our customers.
What do you enjoy most about being an environmental specialist?
Individuals who go into environmental work do so wanting to make a difference. Williams sets their environmental expectations to some of the highest levels I have ever worked with, and it gives me the joy of feeling I am making a difference. The people I work with in Haynesville are proud of the standards we hold ourselves to, and it feels like a true team effort in keeping our natural resources healthy for the next generation.
Do you remember any French from your time overseas?
While I did learn some basic French, the only phrase that seemed to stick around all these years later, is ‘Désolé, parlez-vous anglais?,’ which means ‘Sorry, do you speak English.’ Having grown up south of Houston, many kids took Spanish as their foreign language credit so I found myself confusing Spanish and French many times when I visited France!