Student Spotlight: Nick Lentz
Student Spotlight: Nick Lentz
Nick Lentz didn't always picture himself as an engineer. "I'm very humanities-minded," he admits. But as a senior in Purdue's Industrial Engineering program with minors in Sustainable Engineering and Engineering and Public Policy, Lentz has found a way to merge his passion for the environment with the analytical rigor of IE.
His path to industrial engineering was driven by a clear vision: he wanted to make an impact in sustainability without being confined to a single technical specialty. "Environmental engineering is very hands-on; you're in a wastewater treatment plant or in the field. Being a systems thinker gives you a different role. You're working across all those areas without being tied to one. That really appealed to me," Lentz explains.
His interest in the environment began with hiking trips through the Purdue Outing Club freshman year. Growing up in central Kentucky surrounded by nature, he found himself drawn to outdoor recreation. "The only thing I could really see myself passionate about was environment-related work. It just feels natural. I'm specifically passionate about waste– ways we can do things differently instead of sending everything to a landfill.”
This past summer, Lentz put his IE skills to work at L.L.Bean, the retailer known for its connection to the outdoors. Working in their massive fulfillment center, he tackled typical warehouse concerns alongside other interns: increased visibility and speed in product movement and lower injury risk. Lentz's approach was distinctly IE. "I worked with the people who managed safety on the floor and the people whose safety we were concerned about. Getting both perspectives was really cool. That's a unique position for an industrial engineer– tying everything together."
Nick Lentz
His team's solution combined data analysis with hands-on ergonomics work. One major redesign involved the carts workers used to restock returned clothing. "With the old ones, they had to reach way into the cart and couldn't access the top shelves where many items were. We designed carts with an integrated ladder," Lentz says. The company was enthusiastic about implementing the three-part recommendation within months, and Lentz will return next summer as a Corporate Sustainability Intern in their Supply Chain division.
While Lentz had always been passionate about sustainability, he recognized he hadn't yet done much concrete work to demonstrate that commitment. Then, on the first day of his environmental economics class, the Vice President of Purdue Student Government (PSG) stood up with an announcement: PSG was working to create Purdue's first net-zero plan, and they needed help. A week later, Lentz approached him.
Lentz joined PSG's Sustainability Committee as a director and took charge of one of the initiative's core components: forming an official Purdue Sustainability Task Force. "Pretty much all of the other Big 10 universities have task forces," Lentz notes. "That's why we're asking for Purdue to form one, preferably directed by the President. It wouldn't necessarily publish the entire net-zero plan by itself, but that's the function these groups generally take on."
Lentz's primary role has been writing the legislative proposals for the task force resolution and gathering supporting data. He's also contributing to the emissions analysis portion of the work, although getting data from Purdue Facilities has proven challenging. "One of our goals is increased transparency so this information doesn't stay buried," he mentioned.
Writing sustainable policy is a natural application of IE principles for Lentz. "It's system-wide and university-wide. We're working at the intersection of policy, physical systems, people, and data. And yes, we love data. Writing legislation is very aligned with where I want to go."
“I don't know anyone else in IE who wants to do what I want to do," Lentz said. But that's exactly what makes him confident he'll find his place. "Purdue's IE program gives you room to shape your path," he reflects. "I had time for two minors and a systems certificate. IE is my base. I can understand data, communicate, work with anyone, and not be limited. That allowed me to pursue sustainable engineering, public policy, and systems thinking."
Author: Brenna Losch