Senior / Alumni Spotlights
David Bywalec '16
David Bywalec is currently the Sr. Environmental, Health, and Safety Manager for Trane Technologies – Commercial Chiller Manufacturing, in Grand Rapids, MI. He oversees two manufacturing locations, a distribution center, and a team of 3 EHS professionals. Prior to Trane, David was the Director of EHS for a Tier I Automotive Manufacturer where he reduced Worker’s Compensation spend by $1.5 Million annually and recordable incidents by 40%. David spent nearly 7 of his 10 plus-year career as a Regional Sr. EHS Manager for Dematic Corp., and started his career as an Intern and HSE Specialist for Bosch. David holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Occupational Safety and Health Management with a Minor in Engineering Sciences.
David Bywalec graduated from the Occupational Safety and Health Management program in 2016, but did not start down that path. He went into school with the vision of becoming a mechanical engineer, for the ability to solve problems and “be close to the work.” After 3 and half years of weekly all-nighters and a few retaken classes, he met Dr. Huizen and decided that Occupational Safety and Health would meet his career goals of problem solving, helping people, and “being in the action.” Once David joined the OSH program, it felt like where he was meant to be.
When asked what about the OSH program at Grand Valley set him up the most for success, David replied, “What prepared me most for the real world of a career in safety was the required internship, professors that were well experienced in the field, and the hands-on nature of the program. The internship allowed us to take what we learned in the classroom and apply it to “the real world,” see how it applies and how to implement what we have learned. Having professors that have spent years in the field brought a “reality” to what we were learning and how it fits into the day-to-day of work and a business. Safety doesn’t occur just on paper, so having labs, hands-on projects, and tours of facilities really helped to teach the principles and learn how to keep people safe.” David also adds, “Anyone who wants an active and moving career where you can work in nearly any industry, constantly solve complex problems, and help people should absolutely get into the OSH Program. It has opened so many doors for me that I never thought were possible and has taken my life in a direction I had never previously dreamed of.”
We love hearing from our alumni, if you are interested in being highlighted, please send a photo of yourself, a short bio, and a statement outlining how you think your GVSU OSH Degree assisted you in your career, to OSHDept@gvsu.edu.
Interest Area(s)
Occup Safety/Health Mgmt
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