Hello!
My name is Meghan Hanley and I am very excited to be one of the new Outreach and Engagement Assistants for the Iowa Water Center.
I am a sophomore attending Iowa State University, working toward receiving a degree in Public Relations while double minoring in Digital Media and Event Management. Although none of these fields pertain directly to water conservation and agriculture, I am excited to bring my experience to the table while connecting all of these areas. For two summers, I have worked as the Technology-Communications and Administrative Intern for a church in my hometown, where I helped create monthly newsletters, designed promotional products and worked with the upkeep of their social media pages and website. This January, I started as a Marketing and Management Intern for an up and coming company, Time Redesigned. This internship has given me lots of practice with newsletter and blog writing, managing several social media pages and looking at the metrics report of the social media data. This internship has inspired me to reach outside of my comfort zone, ultimately leading me to the Iowa Water Center.
Growing up, the topic of natural resources was not discussed much at home. We prioritized recycling as a family, but that was about it. When I came to college, it was brought to my attention how much every person is affected, positively and negatively, by every single thing humans do with the resources we have. Within my two years at Iowa State, I pursued a class in natural resources, which has since spiked my interest in the world around us. With that being said, even though I do not have much background education in the world of science and agriculture, I am extremely eager to learn! I was drawn to work at the Iowa Water Center because of the inviting and welcoming atmosphere that is created by Hanna Bates and Melissa Miller. I am hoping that I can only add to that attribute of this work space, even in the uncharted waters – pun intended – that the world and our community is facing right now.