Kelly Gribauval-Hite

Degree:    Bachelor of Science
Major:      Natural Resources, Water Resource Management                      

Additional education undertaken after graduation:
Peace Corps Training

Years in the Field:   7
Current Job Title:    CEO
Organization:           Mercury Technologies of Minnesota          

How did you find this job?
I always had an interest in recycling and kept in contact with the past executive board.

Previous Job Titles and Organizations:
- Agricultural Advisor, MN Department of Agriculture
- Water and Sanitation Volunteer, US Peace Corps-- Mauritania
- Computer Instructor, Annunciation School and the English Learning Center for
      Immigrants and Refugees
-Agronomy/Technical English Professor, La Paraclet Technical College--
      Amiens, France
-English/Arabic/French Translator-- Paris, France

Please describe your job:
My responsibilities include administrative affairs, accounting, regulatory compliance and regulatory compliance training in hazardous waste management/recycling of mercury bearing lamps, and marketing.

What from your undergraduate educational experience was most helpful in preparing you for this career?
Courses in Water Resource Science, Soil Science, Chemistry, Physics, and Rhetoric

What surprised you the most about this occupation or field?
What surprised me the most is how little individuals know about fluorescent lamps and how dangerous they are to the environment.  Even though we are required by law to recycle fluorescent lamps, only about 2% of residential lamps are recycled. 

What advice do you have for current students?
My advice has two parts. Be active and participate in social and social-professional activities. While in school, I made many professional contacts that I have kept through the years, and the different organizations I was involved with were a great way to meet other students who weren't necessarily in my program of study.

The second part is to take advantage of study abroad programs. I participated in the SPAN program and went to New Zealand where I was able to carry out a professional research project for university credit. Again, I made many professional contacts in New Zealand that I keep in touch with to this day. Studying abroad opened my eyes to different ways of looking at the same problem and finding new and innovative solutions. It also gave me the travel bug!