With more than two decades experience working to preserve the environment, Emma Murphy (nee Walker, BES ’90, Geography) is sharing her passion for water with future generations.
Murphy has worked in the environmental sector for almost 25 years. After graduating from the University of Waterloo, she joined a local consulting firm as an environmental planner to put her knowledge into practice.
“I always knew I wanted to study geography,” Murphy says. “Waterloo’s Geography program helped me refine my interests and gave me the flexibility to access classes in other environmental disciplines.”
Today, Murphy works as a Business Development and Communications Specialist for CH2M Hill, a global consulting firm with clients in the energy, water, environment and infrastructure sectors. Away from work, she is past-president and a board member of the Ontario Water Works Association (OWWA), which represents almost 1,700 Ontario water professionals, liaises with Ontario government officials on water-related issues, and interacts with the broader American Water Works Association.
Water has always been Murphy’s passion and she has a specific interest in educating and empowering young people to consider a career in the field.
“The water industry, like many others, has an aging workforce and is experiencing mass retirement, as well as challenges in attracting and retaining people, so we need to proactively encourage high school students to start thinking about the water profession as a potential career path,” she says.
Two years ago, the OWWA, along with several partners, launched an online campaign to get youth excited and engaged about water careers. Each year, the social media driven “Get Wet” campaign asks high school students across Ontario to imagine their lives without water and create a short video that explains the importance of water in their lives.
“When I meet these young people and talk about the water industry, it’s a tremendous opportunity to express to them the importance of providing people with safe, sufficient and sustainable drinking water. I help them see that by working with water, you are working with the lifeblood of every living thing on this planet,” Murphy says.
