Name: Keely Hutchinson
Major: Mechanical engineering,minor in computer science
University: Kansas State University
What companies did you work with this summer?
I worked with five companies in the industries of animal health, carbon black manufacturing, OEM metal structures manufacturing, cabinet manufacturing and refrigerated storage.
What was your favorite project to work on? Why?
At many of the companies, I performed an air audit using an ultrasonic leak detection system. Finding the leaks this way was a little like "hide and seek." It was also interesting to see how quickly the cost savings added up when the leak costs were annualized.
What was your biggest takeaway from the experience?
My biggest takeaway from this summer is that most of the facilities that I worked with had some fairly easy-to-tackle projects that could make a noticeable financial difference as well as lessen their environmental impact.
What are your future plans?
I hope to use my mechanical and computer science background to keep working in the environmental field and to help the world work toward a more sustainable future.
