Biosketch
Co-op placement
During my time at UMass Lowell, I was fortunate enough to be hired by both E-Ink as an analytical chemist intern and by Pfizer where I held a position as an Engineering maintenance and utilities co-op.
Best parts of doing a co-op
I cannot speak highly enough of the people I’ve worked with. I’ve worked in some of the most innovative and technical industries where I was fortunate enough to learn about the product being manufactured, the understanding and logic behind its design. Both opportunities I experienced had extremely collaborative workspaces where I was allowed to both question process knowledge as well as develop my own critical thinking logic through various projects assigned to me. Both co-ops allowed me to develop a better understanding of process design: on a manufacturing floor as well as in an analytical setting. Co-ops bring real-world experiences that apply the knowledge taught in the curriculum of the chemical engineering department. This aligned me very well to succeed in my roles in industry as well as helped to provide a vital understanding of the roles and responsibilities assigned in my capstone project.
Career connections
Industry work was critical in the development of my engineering abilities. An analytical background helped me align myself better in a manufacturing setting where quality mattered. At Pfizer, I was allowed to explore different facets of process engineering and get an understanding of a manufacturing facility as a whole. While at E-Ink I implemented machining methods for varying materials which were implemented thanks to Wendy Gavin helping in the verification process of sampling.
I’ve learned through my experience that people are everything, you’re never alone in your work, and you’ll meet people who become your lifelong friends.