In celebration of Earth Month, we are highlighting employees who are champions of sustainability and help make every day Earth Day at Intel. We have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility that is made possible by harnessing the power of people and technology.
For Michael Hwang, a passion for sustainability started long before he joined Intel. He studied chemical engineering in college and had great teachers that brought both sustainability and environmental engineering to the classroom. Michael’s professors shared the power of understanding these fields as well as their undeniable passion for the environment. His education, along with events at the time like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, only grew his interest in sustainability and doing business right. So when it was time to choose the direction of his career, although he had many compelling options, Michael ultimately decided to join Intel when he graduated. He started as an Environmental Engineer in hazardous waste management and has since transitioned into supply chain management.
But his passion for sustainability isn’t limited to what he does in his day job. Michael is also busy bringing sustainability information to all Intel employees. He runs Intel’s Sustainability Speaker Series, which invites leaders in sustainability from inside and outside the company to share their views and expertise with employees. It gives all employees visibility to the work Intel is doing as well as other sustainability leaders. The Sustainability Speaker Series started was founded by another contagiously passionate employee, Gopi Krishnan. But when the series needed a new leader to manage it in 2016, Gopi approached Michael. He knew his passion for the project and wanted to leave it in good hands. Michael was honored, though slightly hesitant to accept. He knew the time and energy he would need to devote to make it successful would be a big commitment, but in the end he took on the project. Why? Not only would he be able to continue to engage employees on sustainability topics, but also connect with new employees.
Michael is a leader of an employee resource group who supports onboarding new hires and interns. He wanted to make sure new employees and interns had an opportunity to see the authentic commitment Intel has to corporate responsibility and the environment, one of the very aspects that drew him to Intel seven years ago. He shared, “I hope that when this potential talent makes a decision in coming to or staying at Intel, social responsibility takes an element of that.”
Luckily, Michael saw Intel’s commitment to the environment and joined the organization. We hope he continues to go above and beyond to share and encourage conversations around sustainability and corporate responsibility.
Are you interested in living more sustainably today? Michael suggests learning what you can do to help out. Simple things you may not know you can do like recycling batteries can make a collective difference. Michael says, “You toss them in the trash and move on with your day but AA and AAA batteries can be recycled by chemical waste vendors.” You can find recycling options near you like retail stores and public recycling collection drives. Overall, he suggests finding out what those easy things are and start with the small victories.
What will you do today to lower your environmental impact? Share what actions you’re taking to be more sustainable and celebrate Earth Day by using #EarthDayEveryDay on social media and follow us on Twitter @IntelInvolved to keep up with all of Intel’s corporate responsibility efforts.
For Michael Hwang, a passion for sustainability started long before he joined Intel. He studied chemical engineering in college and had great teachers that brought both sustainability and environmental engineering to the classroom. Michael’s professors shared the power of understanding these fields as well as their undeniable passion for the environment. His education, along with events at the time like the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, only grew his interest in sustainability and doing business right. So when it was time to choose the direction of his career, although he had many compelling options, Michael ultimately decided to join Intel when he graduated. He started as an Environmental Engineer in hazardous waste management and has since transitioned into supply chain management.But his passion for sustainability isn’t limited to what he does in his day job. Michael is also busy bringing sustainability information to all Intel employees. He runs Intel’s Sustainability Speaker Series, which invites leaders in sustainability from inside and outside the company to share their views and expertise with employees. It gives all employees visibility to the work Intel is doing as well as other sustainability leaders. The Sustainability Speaker Series started was founded by another contagiously passionate employee, Gopi Krishnan. But when the series needed a new leader to manage it in 2016, Gopi approached Michael. He knew his passion for the project and wanted to leave it in good hands. Michael was honored, though slightly hesitant to accept. He knew the time and energy he would need to devote to make it successful would be a big commitment, but in the end he took on the project. Why? Not only would he be able to continue to engage employees on sustainability topics, but also connect with new employees.
Michael is a leader of an employee resource group who supports onboarding new hires and interns. He wanted to make sure new employees and interns had an opportunity to see the authentic commitment Intel has to corporate responsibility and the environment, one of the very aspects that drew him to Intel seven years ago. He shared, “I hope that when this potential talent makes a decision in coming to or staying at Intel, social responsibility takes an element of that.”
Luckily, Michael saw Intel’s commitment to the environment and joined the organization. We hope he continues to go above and beyond to share and encourage conversations around sustainability and corporate responsibility.
Are you interested in living more sustainably today? Michael suggests learning what you can do to help out. Simple things you may not know you can do like recycling batteries can make a collective difference. Michael says, “You toss them in the trash and move on with your day but AA and AAA batteries can be recycled by chemical waste vendors.” You can find recycling options near you like retail stores and public recycling collection drives. Overall, he suggests finding out what those easy things are and start with the small victories.
What will you do today to lower your environmental impact? Share what actions you’re taking to be more sustainable and celebrate Earth Day by using #EarthDayEveryDay on social media and follow us on Twitter @IntelInvolved to keep up with all of Intel’s corporate responsibility efforts.
Sydney is a creative strategist, producer, and master storyteller at Intel. She capturing stories of impact, sustainability, and amazing people across the company.