Intern spotlight: Bernadette Langford, Great Plains Manufacturing
"My biggest takeaway from the experience was learning that my actions and projects have an actual impact on the company and the environment."
Name: Bernadette Langford
Major: Mechanical Engineering
University: Kansas State University
What company did you work with this summer? Great Plains Manufacturing
What was your favorite project to work on? Why? My favorite project to work on was analyzing cure ovens that the company uses to dry their painted parts. This was my favorite project because I had to opportunity to travel to the different ovens and actually test the temperature of the parts going through the oven. I was also able to do a bit of analytical work on the temperature results which I enjoyed doing.
Biggest challenge during your internship? The biggest challenge during the internship was the large amount of independence that each project required. Coming from a school setting, I was more accustomed to well defined processes of problem solving. However, this independence gave me the opportunity to grow and to develop research skills and has increased my confidence in my own problem solving skills.
What was a project/recommendation you gave that you think could make the most impact for the company if implemented? One of the projects that I worked on was researching small wind turbines and determining if one could be implemented at different Great Plains’ facilities. This project could make the biggest impact on the company as they would be able to source much of their electricity from a renewable resource, decreasing their electric bill and carbon footprint. This project would especially play into the company’s carbon neutral goals.
What was your biggest takeaway from the experience? My biggest takeaway from the experience was learning that my actions and projects have an actual impact on the company and the environment. Through this experience I also learned that the best way to get information is to ask questions, and to investigate every lead to the very end.
What are your future career/education plans? I am currently looking into working with an energy company based out of Kansas City that works on nuclear reactors. In the far future I would like to work on rockets and space systems.
Any other thoughts? Through this experience I also learned that the best way to get information is to ask questions, and that it is best to investigate every lead and idea to the very end.
You can read Bernadette's full case summary here or watch the presentation of her findings.