A brief chat with Stantec Environmental Scientist, Maya Brennan on her insights and experiences as a Young Professional in the Contaminated Land Management industry.

Maya Brennan, Environmental Scientist, Stantec

A brief chat with Stantec Environmental Scientist, Maya Brennan on her insights and experiences as a Young Professional in the Contaminated Land Management industry.

An interview with Maya Brennan, Environmental Scientist of engineering consulting and project delivery company, Stantec

Q1: Can you share with us what inspired you to get into your profession and the environmental industry?

I grew up in Mullumbimby, a small town in northern NSW. Growing up I loved being outdoors, surrounded by nature and being active. I decided once I left school, I would study Physiotherapy. After realising how much I loved the science aspect of it, I quickly realised that I wanted to be a scientist. My dad is a sustainability teacher, so I have always known a lot about environmental challenges and the impact it can have on nature and our communities. I then decided to transfer my university degree to a Bachelor of Environmental Science at RMIT University and have never looked back!

I graduated in 2021, also majoring in environmental chemistry and geosciences. Shortly after graduating, I was offered an opportunity to join the workforce at Stantec as an Environmental Scientist in the contaminated land and remediation team. It’s been an incredible journey so far, and I have already learnt so much from my peers.

Q2: Can you tell us a bit about what current work you are focused on delivering in your team at Stantec?

Throughout my time in this role, I have worked on a range of preliminary site assessments, detailed site assessments, groundwater hydrogeology, contamination management, monitoring, environmental sampling, and remediation projects. Currently, I am participating in an ongoing monitoring program to assess changes in the nature and extent of per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in groundwater, surface water, pore water and sediment across sites in Victoria and the New South Wales Riverina.

Q3: I understand you are passionate about addressing current environmental challenges. As a young professional new to the industry, can you tell us what you think the upcoming generation can offer to the workforce to improve our environment?

When I started working at Stantec, it was very noticeable to me that I thoroughly enjoyed working on projects which focused on mitigating the impact of human activities, protecting, and preserving the natural environment for future generations. I believe what the next generation of professionals will do for the industry is become more creative and innovative in their approach to help solve problems more effectively and efficiently in the assessments performed for contaminated sites. I believe we are in many ways more adaptable to change, and learning to work with advanced technology and trends, which I openly discussed in my presentation at this year’s ecoforum/SustRem.

Q4: What are you most excited about in 2024 at Stantec? Any projects or new technologies you will be delivering on?

As with many industries, advancements in technology have continually reshaped working within the contaminated land sector. I am excited to be at the forefront of understanding how artificial intelligence (AI) tools can help increase workplace efficiency, convenience, and productivity of project delivery to clients.

In my abstract for the Australian Land and Groundwater Association Ecoforum, I talked about how advancements in technology, including the emergence of artificial intelligence tools, have significantly transformed the contaminated land sector. For example, the speed of which AI tools enables immediate response, including the notification of stakeholders and management plans for contaminated locations. This can significantly reduce impact on our environment and human health. Speed and efficiency are everything in our current climate and I look forward to learning more about how our team can continue to apply these advanced applications in our fieldwork in 2024.

Maya Brennan, Stantec

Maya is an environmental scientist specialising in contaminated land investigation and remediation. Her responsibilities have included environmental sampling and monitoring fieldwork, hydrogeological investigation, land rehabilitation, and data analysis. She has worked on a range of preliminary and detailed site investigations and ongoing monitoring programs and developed relevant field and report writing from dealing with a variety of site types and contamination issues.

Maya is passionate about promoting sustainability and environmental action to address current environmental challenges. She enjoys working on projects focused on mitigating the impact of human activities, protecting and preserving the natural environment for future generations. She has recently written an abstract for the Australian Land and Groundwater Association Ecoforum on how advancements in technology, including the emergence of artificial intelligence tools, have significantly transformed the contaminated land sector, improving workplace efficiency and productivity. In addition to exploring her passion for environmental issues, Maya likes to read, exercise, craft, and travel.

Stantec: The Stantec community unites approximately 28,000 employees working in over 400 locations across six continents. We collaborate across disciplines and industries to bring buildings, energy and resource, environmental, and infrastructure projects to life. Our work—engineering surveying, environmental sciences, project management, and project economics, from initial project concept and planning through design, construction, and commissioning—begins at the intersection of community, creativity, and client relationships.

Our local strength, knowledge, and relationships, coupled with our world-class expertise, have allowed us to go anywhere to meet our clients' needs in more creative and personalised ways. With a long-term commitment to the people and places we serve, Stantec has the unique ability to connect to projects on a personal level and advance the quality of life in communities across the globe.

Article Published on 03/11/2023

The statements, analyses, opinions, information and conclusions that may be found in the articles of this publication are those of the author and not of the Australasian Land & Groundwater Association Ltd (ALGA), which only acts in the capacity as publisher. No part of this publication can be regarded as legal advice. Although care has been taken in preparing this publication, neither ALGA nor the author represent or warrant that the information supplied is current, complete or accurate. To the full extent permitted by law, the author and ALGA do not accept any liability, or owe a duty of care, to any person in respect of any such information. No person should rely in any way on the content of this publication and are encouraged to seek independent legal or other professional advice, if required.