Our alumna Kaisa Koro: Environmental engineering studies have been my greatest environmental deed
Healing the world at water utilities and landfills
When aiming for the greatest possible impact, one may find oneself, for example, healing the world at a landfill studying materials as they decompose or planning water treatment processes at a water utility. Kaisa Koro is one of Finland’s promising young advocates of sustainable development who is working hard to attain her goals. She says that her career path got off to a good start with environmental engineering studies at Tampere University.
“My aim is to do my part to heal the world, and my studies have been my greatest environmental deed so far. I also put effort in recycling and aim to favour walking as a means of transportation, but the impact of these measures is limited so I want to make an environmental impact on a larger scale. I also think that we should not impose all the responsibility only on individuals,” Koro says.
Koro’s first job in her own specialist field was at the regional waste management company Pirkanmaan jätehuolto, where she worked as a landfill scales operator and clerk. She has also worked as a research engineer and monitor at city of Valkeakoski’s water utility where she also worked on her master’s thesis.
“The utility is relatively new, meaning it has been run at certain default settings. In my thesis, I explored possible improvements in those settings. It all starts with the quality of raw water which varies between the summer and winter seasons depending on lake conditions. We aim to react to quality variation and seek ideal settings related to factors such as lime water and precipitation chemical volumes, rotation speed, pressure, and rinse times. Thus, it is mostly about chemistry with a little bit of physics thrown in,” Koro explains.
The next step in her career path is still open from autumn 2023 onwards, but Koro can imagine taking her career in several directions.
“So far, I have worked for a municipality and other public sector organisations. It could be interesting to try out the private sector, in project-based consultancy, for example. I may also continue in water management since I already have a solid basis in that, but my work could also be something related to life cycle assessment and materials. Moreover, I am interested in the legislative side of things, such as emission limit calculation or what we should include in legislation about these issues in general,” Koro says.
Insight comes to you in time
Born and raised in the municipality of Hämeenkyrö near Tampere, Koro started her studies in environmental engineering in 2018 and minored in energy technology in her bachelor’s degree. She has been happy to study both subjects as they are partly intertwined because she had a hard time choosing between the two when she applied to university.
Koro has also taken some studies in materials science, which she finds another interesting and important area from the perspective of sustainable development and the circular economy.
“You get better at recycling when you know how materials decompose and how they can be joined back together. On a wider scale, the same idea is at the root of managing large masses and processes as well as life cycle assessment,” Koro mentions.
Koro appreciates the fact that her studies involved a close connection with working life and potential employers throughout. Companies provided topics for exercises, worked together with students on joint projects, and sent guest speakers to class. This allowed students to keep track of what was happening in working life. The studies also involved a lot of practical work on software that is also used in real-life projects, such as AutoCAD, and networks design and life cycle assessment software.
“The studies included a wide range of things and gave me a very good basis for my career. I am sure everything I learnt at university will deepen, but I am already very happy with the comprehensive core package that the studies gave me. I also noticed that insight came to me in time during the studies and I gradually started to see things from different perspectives. This is something I would also like to share with new students: even if things seem vague at first, you do not need to have your key interests or direction nailed down from the get-go. Insight will often come to you along the way,” Koro says.
Koro also became a student ambassador for Tampere University in her third year of study. Student ambassadors represent their university and field of study, making a valuable contribution to marketing the university to applicants. Koro had heard about the ambassador activities and thought they could be a natural way for her to be an active student. The fact that the university paid fees for the activities was also a nice bonus.
“I visited schools both in person and through Teams, participated in the university’s photoshoots for marketing materials, the national Studia education fair and panel discussions, and led campus tours on the Hervanta campus. I also represented the university in a local Ilves–Tappara ice hockey match and training events arranged for teachers. What was best about it all was seeing that you have managed to provide information to people and evoke ideas in them,” Koro says.
Today, just before graduation, Koro is considering being a member of YEDI, an association for environmental engineering and energy technology graduates in Tampere. To her, joining the alumni organisation seems like a natural continuation of her student ambassador role.
“As a member, I would be able to tell new students about life after graduation while also keeping in touch with other graduates from my study programme,” Koro notes.
INFO BOX
Who: Kaisa Koro
Degree: Master of Science in Technology, Environmental Engineering, 2018–2023
Work: Research Engineer, city of Valkeakoski’s water utility
Leisure: In addition to her work and studies, Koro has been kept busy by her hobbies. She is one of the original members of the university-based brass band Puhallinorkesteri Akateeminen Henkäys (PAH) and active in Finnish baseball, pesäpallo. She coaches junior players in the local Manse PP team and plays in the Pirkkalan Pirkot team herself.
Text: Tiina Leivo
Picture: Mikko Ovaska