Fawn Bergen (B.S. Environmental Engineering ‘99) has emerged as a leader in the global sustainability initiative. Her role as Global Sustainability Program Manager at Intel Corporation fulfills her lifelong passion in math, science and the environment.
“I am leading Intel’s carbon footprint and water stewardship programs across the world. This includes setting and achieving our climate and water goals as well as quantification and reporting of our footprint, enabling projects and partnering with local Intel teams, environmental organizations and governments to implement our goals,” Bergen said.
Bergen uses her decades of job experience to place Intel in the forefront of tackling climate change. The company focuses on carbon footprint and energy conservation, waste reductions, water conservation, green buildings and energy efficient products.
She credited the University of Florida for its significant influence throughout her 20-year career, stemming from an internship at a local environmental consulting firm in Gainesville to her current position.
“Being a UF student allowed me to have a wide variety of opportunities to invest in my education and develop my career along with professors and fellow students who pushed me to realize my potential,” Bergen said. “As I learned more and completed classes in the Department of Environmental Engineering, I began to understand how engineering principles and problem solving could be applied to developing solutions to environmental issues.”
Pulling from her undergraduate experience, Bergen urges current students to have patience and be open-minded within their field of interest.
“When you are a student what you think you want to do may be very different than what you actually enjoy doing. One of the many reasons I have loved working as an environmental engineer is the enormous range of opportunities and focus areas that exist,” Bergen said.
Before Bergen could become a leading voice in global sustainability, she had to adapt to different communication styles in other cultures and perspectives.
“I still remember my first in-person presentation I gave to our team outside the United States where English was not the native language. At the time, I did not appreciate how much cultural differences, language and my presentation style could have such a big impact on the success or failure of the meeting,” Bergen added.
By starting over, she was able to assess her shortcomings and apply those skills to lead global programs in achieving the company’s sustainability goals.
Currently, Bergen is spearheading Intel’s water restoration goal, which is to restore 100% of the company’s water usage by 2025.
“I am passionate about demonstrating the business value that environmental sustainability brings to a company. My hope is to be able to look back at my career and see the positive impact my work has had on corporations and the environment,” she said.
Bergen recognized her husband as her biggest supporter and a staple throughout her career. They reside in Portland with their two children.
Reba Liddy
Marketing & Communications Specialist
Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering