Life of an EngineerLife of an Engineer

Maria Melissa B. QuemadaMaria Melissa B. QuemadaProcess Engineer/Lab Manager Thermionics Metal Processing, Inc.

Chabot College Fall ’01 – Chabot College Fall ’01 – Spring ‘05Spring ‘05

OverviewOverview

Life of a student engineer– How to survive in a 4-year university– Valuable skills– Internships

My Internship experiences Senior Project

Life of an engineer– Industry– Graduate school– Marketable skills

How to survive in a 4-yr How to survive in a 4-yr universityuniversity

Network early– You will need your classmates to help you get through with your

classes…especially HOMEWORKS!

Go to office hours– Not only will you find answers to your questions, the TA might also give

you helpful hints – Visibility: Professors will recognize you and may lead to other

opportunities

Attend your classes– Don’t depend on your classmates’ note-taking, chances are…they’re also

not paying attention to what the professor is saying.

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

Valuable SkillsValuable Skills

Technical writing

Giving presentations

Modeling/Computer-based software

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

InternshipsInternships

Apply to as many internship opportunities as you can!– Go to career fairs– Have someone proof-read your resume– Make sure that you get at least one internship experience to the

industry you want to get into.

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

My Internship ExperiencesMy Internship Experiences

Summer 2005 – INSET (Internships for Nanosystems, Science, Engineering and Technology)

– Location: UC Santa Barbara– Project: Making cost-effective fuel cell– Who helped me?

Mr. Mayer

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

Pulse-DepositionPulse-Depositionelectrochemical deposition of the Platinum through the hydrophilic

channels or the active sites on to the substrate

-0.5V

0.5V

50s

50s

Total deposition time

Vol

tage

Pt4+ + 4e- Pt(s)

Eo = -0.5V (approximately)

Carbon cloth

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

My Internship ExperiencesMy Internship Experiences

Summer 2006 – SULI (Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships)

– Location: LBNL (Lawrence Berkeley National Lab)– Project: ARUBA (Arsenic Removal Using Bottom Ash)

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

My Internship ExperiencesMy Internship Experiences

Summer 2007 – Phoenix Biosystems (Start-up)– Industrial internship experience– Project: Fabrication of biosensors to measure glucose

response in continuous flow and single-used systems

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

My Internship ExperiencesMy Internship Experiences

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

Senior ProjectSenior Project

Chemical Engineering Senior Project– Simulate a real production plant using SuperProTM

– Use chemical engineering theory and lab applications– Economic evaluation of project proposal

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

Senior ProjectSenior Project

Life of a student engineer

Life of an engineer

IndustryIndustry

Applying for a job– Go to your university career fairs– Talk to career counselor at your university– Attend industry’s info-sessions set up by students

Job Interview tips– Look up company profiles before interview– Try to sign up for a mock interview (if available) at

your university’s career center

Life of a student engineer Life of an engineer

IndustryIndustry

Current Job: Process Engineer/Lab Manager– TMPI (Thermionics Metal Processing Inc.)

– Responsibilities: Work with different type of industries such as semiconductor,

solar and biotech companies to come up with a processes that will clean different materials used in vacuum systems, etc.

Control and monitor chemistry of etching baths, etc.

Life of a student engineer Life of an engineer

Graduate SchoolGraduate School

Research the graduate programs and schools you’re interested in

Study and take GRE (Graduate Record Exam) as early as possible (especially if you’ve just taken SAT’s)

Life of a student engineer Life of an engineer

Marketable SkillsMarketable Skills

Take E.I.T (Engineering-in-Training) exam Take P.E. (Professional Engineer) exam Continuous education

– Science and technology evolves so rapidly (need to keep up with it)

Learn different software programs, especially those that are specific to your chosen major

Life of a student engineer Life of an engineer

ConclusionConclusion

Engineers are vital in the advancement of any technology

Will meet interesting people along the way Will do interesting and rewarding projects

throughout your career Be an engineer…Don’t give up along the way

Life of a student engineer Life of an engineer