Kathryn Murphy Email & Phone Number

Pasadena, Ca, Us

Working with a nonprofit organization on developing a sensor to improve the SODIS (solar disinfection) process for developing countries. I spend most of my time running tests through a solar simulator and determining the lifespan of the prototype. I am currently leading a team to determine the bacteria content before and after SODIS treatment. I have worked on grants, and I won the AIChE Global Challenge in 2018. I will be presenting my work at the national AIChE conference in October, 2018. My time at Billion Bottle Project has taught me about teamwork and the importance for being accurate with research. I have also learned many new lab skills that I will apply in my future.

Valley Forge, Pa, Us

Returned for a second summer at a chemical engineering plant where I continued learning about process safety, process control, design, and employee interactions. I used AspenPlus and AspenHYSYS to simulate the plant’s distillation column under 0, 10, and 40 psig for a project they wish to implement within the year. I also simulated a butanol sidedraw under various conditions for the same column. While at PQ, I worked with engineers and contractors on solving problems with the distillation column, a number of heat exchangers, and R&D lab equipment. During my time at PQ, I wrote a number of PMs, SOPs, and conducted daily quantitative data which I then analyzed. By the end of the summer, I gained more information about how important communication and process safety is for a plant to run efficiently.

Valley Forge, Pa, Us

I worked in a chemical engineering plant where I learned more about process safety, process control, designing and altering materials, and employee interactions. I updated process flow diagrams, process safety management (PSM) files, P&IDs through Visio and Excel. I also troubleshooted problems with the distillation column, heat exchanger, and sulfuric acid tank. During my time at PQ, I learned how to write project proposals, present new material from data collection to the engineering team group, conduct quantitate and qualitative analysis within the plant, and better understand how a chemical process works. I was also able to work with a variety of people within the company from mechanics and engineers to lab technicians and computer science engineers.

Cleveland, Oh, Us

Currently, I am working in an environmental engineering lab at Case Western Reserve University. I am working with a Ph.D student to produce biofuels from algae, and finding a sustainable way to create large scale algae farms. Along with creating biofuels, we are also trying to use algae to treat waste water. We are currently conducting BOD analysis and procedures to calculate the amount of oxygen depletion after five (5) days of algae growth in optimal media and conditions. We are also performing analysis under a microscope to look for amoeba and find solutions to cells lysing in the feed reactors.

Boston, Ma, Us

I working in a rural community in Northern Ghana for three weeks to help design and implement a water filtration business. Having access to clean water is essential for a communities growth, health, and allows more kids the opportunity to attend school. During the first week in Ghana, my team worked on gathering supplies, learning some of the native language, made a plan for pitching the business to the community, and learned more about the Global Water Crisis. Saha Global recommend doing a simple and sustainable two step process of using aluminate sulfate to reduce the turbidity and then chlorine to purify the water. It was important for us that all the supplies could be found in the market, since once we left, the business was run and owned by appointed entrepreneurs. In order to start working in the village, we had to pitch the business to the chief and elders, who then gave us permission to discuss the project with the community. During a community meeting, three women were appointed to run the business and benefit from any profit from selling the water. Throughout the three weeks, we educated the women not only on water filtration and health, but how to run a successful business. We also went to each household to educate the general population about health and the reasons to why drinking dirty water can be detrimental. To do so, we did lab tests on the clean and dirty water for the community to actually see the bacteria growth in what they were originally drinking. Education was very important for the longterm success of the community. By the end of the trip, every household came to purchase 20 liters of clean water for the price of 1 water bottle in the market. And currently, the business is still running and making a profit.

For three summers, I worked with Healient Physician Group in Kansas City assisting with implementing Clinical, an electronic medical record system. While there, I organized and prepped medical records, and communicated with doctors about patients charts.