about tyler
Tyler interned for credit at Facilities Management for a semester his junior year in energy management. Tyler’s primary responsibility was to research energy benchmarking standards and apply them to submetered residence halls on campus. He learned how to use the Environmental Protection Agency’s Portfolio Manger Tool, set up an account for 110 St. Thomas More Residence Hall, quality checked data and entered the data into the program to determine the buildings’ Energy Star ranking. 
The energy benchmarking program Tyler started continued with the inclusion of Medeiros, 90, Vandy, Voute, and Gabelli. Tyler coordinated the consultant visits and arranged for attendance by our trades shops. This service will be invaluable in our continued evaluation of the efficiency of building mechanical systems and will provide documentation of the benefits of submetering. Without his assistance, this work would not have been completed.
He also learned how to use BC’s internal submetering program and set up various reports to monitor an ongoing energy conservation contest. He determined what the baseline for the contest should be and how the winner should be selected. Tyler presented these reports to the Residential Life Subcommittee on Sustainability. In addition to his primary duties, Tyler also researched LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building standards and renewable energy and gained an understanding of the energy infrastructure on campus.
Tyler accomplished the above during a single semester. He returned his senior year as a paid employee. His work the previous semester culminated in a free, comprehensive assessment of 110 St. Thomas More Residence Hall and a recently awarded Energy Star Certification from the federal government. As a result of the benchmarking program, it was determined that Medeiros Townhouses should receive more efficient lighting. The subsequent improvement in the energy performance of Medeiros resulted in an improvement in its score and another Energy Star rating for a Boston College residence hall.
The energy star plaques awarded by the EPA this spring are a visual symbol of energy efficiency that will serve to educate students and parents. Tyler continued to lead the effort to educate his peers by running this year’s energy conservation contest, BC’s most extensive initiative to date. He collaborated with UGBC representatives and served as the liaison for Facilities to BCisGreen Week. He improved upon the reporting from last year’s contest and developed slick graphics for posting twice weekly on UGBC’s flat panels and communicated the status of the contest to Resident Directors and Res Life administrators. Tyler also contributed to the planning of the contest during meetings with the Res Life sustainability committee. He was perceived as a valuable resource, not as an intern, by both Res Life and Facilities Management employees who were confident in his abilities and relied on his expertise.
Tyler has exhibited a talent for teaching others including fellow interns and as a leader in Environmental Studies program’s Senior seminar where he contributes to learning and influencing peers by sharing his experience as a leader in bringing energy efficiency to BC and explaining impact on environment. His studies there will focus on a comprehensive ecological footprint analysis of Boston College’s operations with the goal of proposing a plan to reduce the university’s green house gas emissions. He is also a member of SustainBC a group of faculty, staff and students committed to greening BC.
Tyler plans to use his Sociology degree and minor in Environmental Studies to pursue a “green collar” job.