Spotlight

RAPID Intern Spotlight: Edmund Sam-Gyandoh, University of Pittsburgh

In 2019, 26 students from a diverse set of RAPID member organizations participated in the RAPID Intern Program. Edmund Sam-Gyandoh completed the program in the fall and, in this first of many more, intern spotlights, introduces himself, discusses his technical project work, and describes how the RAPID Intern Program has contributed to his professional development and future career plans. 
 
Tell us about you.

I am a U.S. Army Veteran, a Certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and currently a MS Chemical Engineering student on schedule to graduate in the Spring of 2020. My professionalism and versatility span the realms of engineering and business with multiple accounts of project management experiences (scoping, scheduling, implementation, closing, etc.)

Describe the project you worked on.

My project was focused on the transition from batch to continuous process in the specialty chemical industry; looking at modularized and intensified tubular reactor and the unconventional (largely unknown) cavitation reactor processing schemes  while advancing mixing  and heating techniques. My direct work involved deriving robust kinetics of a dispersant chemistry, forming the baseline milestone for the multi-step industrially/academically driven project approach.

How do you think the RAPID Intern Program will impact your future career?

This program thought me leadership, teamwork, and above all, how to rethink chemical processes and communicating them effectively to solicit solutions for process intensification.  As an aspiring business, engineering and project leader these add on skill sets and impacts my career by helping me to stand out as a critical thinker and value the importance of having a hypothesis and testing it; ultimately helping my creativity. Industry thrives on creativity and innovation and I see myself making not just a direct impact but making an impact quickly within the professional space.

What are your next steps after the RAPID intern Program?

I plan to continue my research at the University of Pittsburgh through curious application of process intensification tools, while I search for a job in industry after I graduate in spring 2020.

 

Learn more about the RAPID Intern Program

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. To learn more or to nominate a student for an upcoming program, click here.