I worked collaboratively with a primary investigator on developing novel carbon fiber products, insulation projects, and helped developed methods to test the new products. In my role I worked with a group of technicians and engineers, I trained new staff, performed physical analysis on materials, used electron microscopy to evaluate composites we designed, wrote standard operating procedures, and prepared reports for upper management and customers.

I was in charge of the quality assurance lab. I assisted the brewers with rendering quality beers and helping maintain and strengthen consistency, batch-to-batch. I helped propagate yeast, monitor the pH, the dissolved O2, the yeast health, and the microbial flora existing in the beer, I made growth media and monitored for invasive species.

I circulated through three separate labs. In the water lab I have done conductivity, pH, DO, tss/tds, helped prepare samples for FIA, and coliform testing. In the oil lab I digested oils two separate ways using a dilution and a fusing method for injection coupled plasma spectroscopy with the optima 5300dv ICP for elemental analysis. I prepared those same samples when found to have a higher than usual metal concentration for microscopy to determine metallic morphology and confirm concentrations of metals. I did TAN titrations, using hydroscout testing I was able to determine water ppm in oil samples. In the coal lab I helped grind coal and then performed thermogravimetric analysis for moisture, and volatile organics, I was also able to use microscopy to view cross sections of coal for QA purposes to ensure they are worth coking with. During my externship I was also able to partake in a project running a bioreactor.