RAPID

In the second installment of Meet the Fall 2020 RAPID Interns spotlight series, we are highlighting three students who are participating in the fall 2020 program. Scroll down to learn more about Steven Kevorkian, a Junior at Auburn University, Harris Jilani, a Junior at Rochester Institute of Technology, and Zhexi Zhu, a graduate student at the University of Arkansas. 

Steven Kevorkian

Steven Kevorkian, a 3rd-year undergraduate chemical engineering student attending Auburn University, is currently working on RAPID projects 8.4 (Microfibrous Entrapped Sorbents for High Throughput Modular Process Intensified Gas Separation and Ion Exchange) and 8.9 (Modular Catalytic Partial Oxidation Reactors Using Microstructured Catalyst Structures With Combined High Thermal Conductivity and Flame Extinction Capacity to Enhance Process Safety Margins and Enable High Per Pass Conversion and High Selectivity of Non-Diluted Reactants) as an intern at IntraMicron. Steven's main responsibilities are the loading of the reactors for gas separation, ion exchange, and EO synthesis. This includes producing the microfibrous media, loading the media with catalyst or sorbent, and loading the media into the reactors.

What are your career aspirations?

After graduation, I hope to find a career that allows me to work in various sectors of the chemical engineering field. The areas I am most interested in are energy and defense, and I aspire to pursue those interests further as I grow as a chemical engineer.

What are your thoughts on the RAPID Intern Program so far?

The RAPID Intern Program has been a valuable experience for me, and It has allowed me to gain a deeper understanding of process intensification while making connections with others in my field. This program has helped to better prepare me for my future ventures in both my academic and professional career.

Harris Jilani

Harris Jilani, a 3rd-year undergraduate chemical engineering student attending Rochester Institute of Technology, is currently working on entitled "Optimize the reaction of interest by developing a continuous setup for the reaction from which multiple variables can be tested" as an intern at Nalas Engineering. Harris focuses on conducting a preliminary screening of various methods and approaches to drying the solution of interest in order to conduct the reaction more effectively. This includes developing and testing a continuous reaction setup in order to test a multitude of reaction variables.

What are your career aspirations?

At the moment, I aspire to become familiar with the different chemical engineering fields in order to be better understand what fields most interest me. As I become familiar with the different approaches and technologies available, I will be more able to improve chemical process with the experiences I have obtained.

What are your thoughts on the RAPID Intern Program so far?

The RAPID Intern Program helps introduce new chemical engineers to some of the newest technologies and approaches to operating better chemical processes. The ability to become familiar with the newest design principles and capabilities of chemical engineering as a whole is invaluable and very interesting to learn about.

Zhexi Zhu

RAPID Organization: University of Arkansas

Advisor: Ranil Wickramasinghe

Year: Graduate Student

Project Title: Catalytic Membranes for Biomass Hydrolysis and Dehydration

*The RAPID Intern Program is an exciting opportunity for students working with RAPID members. It is a virtual PI leadership program which overlays on the work students are already doing at RAPID member organizations and provides students with PI leadership training and professional development skill-building opportunities like networking, career discovery, and public speaking/presenting. Click here for more information and to nominate a student.