NHHI Hiring Spotlight – Todd Treichel

Todd Treichel was promoted to environmental affairs technician in May 2022 after working his way up through the Environmental Affairs Section (EAS) of Yale Environmental Health and Safety (EHS).

Treichel began his time at EHS as an industrial health and hygiene intern over the summers of 2019 and 2020. He graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2020 with an undergraduate degree in biological sciences and was hired by EAS as a casual environmental affairs assistant in early 2021 where he assisted in EAS’s environmental compliance programs. Later that year, he was hired as a fixed duration employee working in EAS’s biomedical waste program before being hired into the permanent position of biomedical waste technician After about six months in that role, he was promoted to his current position.

He is always eager to learn and has taken on new responsibilities in each of his positions. I can see him continuing to grow and progress through our department in the future. Weslely Bridges

“Todd has been a great employee with a strong work ethic,” said Wesley Bridges, environmental operations manager for EAS and Treichel’s supervisor.

During his time at EAS, Treichel has completed many required trainings in order to learn to properly manage and dispose of biological and hazardous waste according to state and federal regulations. He also obtained his Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) with hazardous materials endorsement, which allows him drive vehicles containing regulated waste for storage and final disposal.

He is one of the latest of several hires at EHS/EAS who have come through Yale’s New Haven Hiring Initiative.

“We’re fortunate, we’ve had a lot of success with the New Haven Hiring Initiative in the past and hiring staff members locally,” Bridges said. “Todd is a great example of that success.”

We had an opportunity to catch up with Todd to learn about his path to employment at Yale

Tell us about yourself:

I grew up in New Haven, attended Edgewood, the Sound School, and received a New Haven Promise Scholarship, which helped me to earn a bachelor’s degree in Biological Science from UConn. I have two cats named Levi and Mustang, and my favorite pastime is hiking.

Tell us about your job search experience:

I started my job search in 2019, attending the New Haven Promise internship fair, where I tried to network as much as possible. At the fair, I met Ben Fontes and Cathy King from Yale Environmental Health and Safety, and they hired me as an Industrial Health and Hygiene intern in the department for the summer. After completing the summer internship, I returned to UConn to finish my senior year of college. During my senior year, I attended another New Haven Promise Internship Fair where I reconnected with Iain Kinsella and Dan Schott from Yale EHS, both of whom I worked with as an intern. I applied for and received another internship as an Environmental Affairs Assistant. Unfortunately, during the summer of 2020, the COVID pandemic hit, and I was unable to start that internship. During the fall of 2020, I signed up with New Haven Works, which helped me to enhance my resume and obtain a position as a casual employee with Yale EHS in 2021.

Tell us about your current role at Yale:

I am an Environmental Affairs Technician, and my day-to-day duties typically vary. Overall, I am responsible for removing hazardous chemical waste from the Yale Medical School, which usually consists of going to labs to collect their waste, conducting inspections to ensure the safe handling of hazardous chemicals, and properly disposing of chemical waste. Also, I am currently learning how to properly package and ship hazardous waste in accordance with DOT and EPA guidelines.

What advice do you have for other job seekers?

My advice would be to utilize all the resources you have at your disposal. Whether it’s New Haven Promise, New Haven Works, or something different, find a resource to help you tailor your resume, gain experience interviewing, and network with employers.

What is next for you?

I hope to continue to grow in the EHS department and further my career by eventually specializing in an area.