RAPID

As summer draws to a close, we thank all our RAPID interns, their mentors and project sponsors for their participation in our first RAPID Summer Intern Program.  Below, our last group of interns echos all we have heard so far about how process intensification has made a lasting and important impression on them and how they will approach industry and process design in the future.   

Clare Beahn

• Junior, Univeristy of Pittsburgh
• Project: On-Demand Treatment of Wastewater Using 3D-Printed Membrane
• Focus Area: Chemical and Commodity Processing
• Work Tasks: Makes the desired the membrane using a 3D printer; characterizes the wettability and topography of the membrane, and collects the data on oil-water separation efficiency.

What intrigued you most about joining the RAPID Summer Intern Program?

Learning about this innovative area is great for me in terms of trying to find out where I will and want to fit in as a chemical engineer in the work world.

Now that you are at the midpoint, what skills have you obtained or refined that you consider of value and what are you still looking forward to?

I am learning how to adapt and be flexible. With research nothing is concrete and approaches are constantly changing in order to find the best way to achieve a particular end game.

How have your impressions about Process Intensification grown/shifted?

I came into this internship with no information on process intensification and I am learning about what exactly process intensification entails, and I have to say it is a lot more than I thought, which is exciting!

What do you hope to accomplish at the end of the intern program?

I hope to have a better idea of what I would like to do in chemical engineering once I finish my undergraduate degree. I believe the RAPID internship will help me figure out what I want to do because of the vast nature of the information interns are able to receive during the program via webinars, discussion and feedback.

What do you like best about RAPID’s Intern Program?

RAPID’s program provides access to interesting webinars not only on chemical engineering and technical topics but also on topics relevant to the job-world. I have especially enjoyed the “Beyond the Resume” webinar because it provided important information concerning how to write a resume and what exactly recruiters are looking for.

Trevor Devine

• Junior, University of Pittsburgh
• Project: Intensified Commercial Scale Manufacture of Dispersants
• Focus Area: Chemical and Commodity Processes
• Work Tasks: Develops protocols to assess product quality from batch versus continuous reactor operation using viscosity and potentiometric titration experiments, and assists with kinetic experimentation for dispersant production in a continuous reactor set-up.
• Career Aspirations: After graduation, I plan on pursuing a master’s degree in Chemical Engineering to deepen my knowledge of my profession. Then want to find a job in industry. At some point,  I want to get an MBA and take on a leadership role within the company so I can pass along my knowledge to future generations of engineers.

What intrigued you most about joining the RAPID Summer Intern Program?

I was highly interested by the opportunity to meet with fellow student researchers to discuss and share our projects under one common theme. I value learning about other research projects to further my own knowledge about current engineering practices and advancements.

Now that you are at the midpoint, what skills have you obtained or refined that you consider of value and what are you still looking forward to?

I have developed much stronger critical thinking skills in solving industry problems. I learned to reevaluate the very foundations of modern chemical processes and to generate ideas to improve them. Also, I gained numerous professional development skills: my interpersonal communication, report writing, and presentation skills have all been refined through this program.

How have your impressions about Process Intensification grown/shifted?

I came into this program knowing very little about process intensification. However, after learning more, I question why this strategy has not permeated through all of industry yet. The benefits of process intensification are clear, but adoption of such practices seems to be slow.

What do you hope to accomplish at the end of the intern program?

I hope to grow more as an engineer and communicator by the end of the program. I want to clearly and effectively communicate results gathered through lab work. I also hope to develop better intuition of where process intensification can have the greatest benefit for a company.

What do you like best about RAPID’s Intern Program?

My favorite part of the RAPID intern program certainly is working on the forefront of a revolution throughout industry. I enjoy working with cutting-edge technology and processes, which may one day become industry norm. I see a very bright future for PI across all facets of industry.

Charles Ambrass  

• Junior, University of Pittsburgh       
• Project: Intensified Commercial Scale Manufacture of Dispersants
• Focus Area: Chemical and Commodity Processes
• Work Tasks: Set-up and initial evaluation of a cavitation reactor, using simple water recirculation to evaluate energy efficiency of the cavitation unit.
• Career Aspirations: I am undecided about which industry niche I want to settle into but I plan to obtain my MBA within the next decade and work towards an administrative/executive position.

What intrigued you most about joining the RAPID Summer Intern Program?

The RAPID Summer Intern Program first and foremost is directly oriented towards industry. The concept of process intensification is extremely powerful and applicable to a vast majority of chemical engineering employment opportunities. I also saw this internship as a great way to further my networking goals.

Now that I am at the midpoint, what skills have I obtained or refined that I consider of value and what am I still looking forward to?

As I approach the midpoint of this internship opportunity, I recognize that I have dramatically improved my laboratory skills in general. These skills do not just include handling various chemicals but they also include working with various types of reactors, sensors, software components, etc. I have also continued to develop soft skills such as teamwork and presentation skills.

How have my impressions of process intensification grown/shifted?

I entered this research opportunity with an enthusiastic opinion of process intensification. Since then, this appreciation has become more solidified. I now have a more comprehensive understanding of the breadth and depth of process intensification. The more I continue to learn about the concept, the more important and necessary it becomes for me.

What do I hope to accomplish at the end of the intern program?

At the end of this internship program, I hope to have furthered my knowledge and understanding of process intensification and its applications in the chemical production industry. The laboratory goals that I have include a better understanding of the kinetics of the reaction I am currently studying. I also plan to have my cavitation system running properly and hope to have a better understanding of the efficiency of the reactor I am working with.

What do you like best about RAPID’s Intern Program?

One of the things that I like best is the relatively informal approach. I can accomplish the goals that are set for me at my own pace. The goals of this program are also aligned with my interests not just in PI but also my future as an industry professional.

To read about all our interns, please review parts one and two of our Spotlight Series.