• For these father-daughter Baylor grads, protecting the environment is a family affair

    Greer and Brittainy Tidwell

    Greer Tidwell, BSES ’85, and his daughter Brittainy, BSME ’15, have a lot in common. For starters, they’re both Baylor engineering graduates; they also both love the outdoors.

    It’s a love that came naturally. Greer grew up on a farm outside of Nashville, where his father, Greer Tidwell Sr., was an early environmental engineer. He passed on that appreciation for the environment to Greer Jr., who in turn shared it with Brittainy. But for the Tidwells, enjoying the outdoors isn’t enough; their calling is to protect it.

    After becoming one of Baylor’s first engineering graduates in 1985, Greer went to law school and eventually joined Bridgestone Tire Manufacturing Group in Nashville, where he worked his way up to his current job as director of environmental management. Tires, rubber and the environment might not seem to go hand-in-hand, but Greer makes sure that everything his company does takes the environment into consideration. He not only looks for ways to reduce the company’s environmental footprint by finding environmentally-friendly materials, recycling, and reducing carbon emissions, but he has taken it a step further in leading Bridgestone to develop wildlife habitat areas and educational resources at numerous Bridgestone plants across the country to build a culture of taking care of the communities they’re in.

    “It’s not just about chemistry, rules and regulations,” Greer said. “It’s about connecting with the great outdoors.”

    When Greer graduated, many companies were still in the early stages of adopting a concern for the environment that his father’s generation pioneered. He, in turn, worked hard to grow a love and concern for the environment in future generations, not knowing right away that those future generations of environmental engineers would include his daughter.

    Brittainy is now a mechanical engineer in training at Jacobs, a global firm providing technical, professional and construction services. In her role in the company’s healthcare team in Fort Worth, she develops HVAC systems for hospitals across the state. While her job title doesn’t include the word “environment” like her father, she can’t help but bring that perspective to her role, looking for ways to ensure that everything she does is environmentally-sound on a team that includes numerous LEED-certified engineers.

    “My dad’s generation of environmental engineers was focused on stopping the pollution, and my generation focused on cleaning up the pollution,” Greer says. “Brittainy’s generation will make products that don’t generate pollution and can be made, used and reused without damaging the environment. Our care and concern must extend to future generations.”

    Sic ’em, Greer and Brittainy Tidwell!