Spring 2017 CHEE Class Notes: Alumni at Work

Robert Bruce Scott

Class of 1960, BS in Chemical Engineering
rbrucescott38@cox.net

At the UA I went by Bruce. I graduated in 1960 – the very first class to graduate chemical engineers! Dr. Don White was the department head. He was a great teacher and a great friend!

I'm now retired and live in Glendale, Arizona. During my career, I worked in the aerospace industry as a chemical engineer/metallurgical engineer; in the computer industry manufacturing computer disks; in state government as director of what is now the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality; and as a consultant chemical engineer both for a firm in Phoenix and my own chemical-environmental engineering consulting firm, Scott, Allard and Bohannan.

My wife, Jane, and I enjoy the grandchildren, traveling and UA sports. Go, Wildcats!

Rinsky Gecosala

Class of 1979, MS in Chemical Engineering
edrin617@post.harvard.edu

I recently retired from practicing occupational, preventative, family and anti-aging medicines after 20 years in the field. I worked in the United States and the Philippines, and I hold degrees from UA, Harvard and international schools.

From 2001 to 2015 I was the medical director at CityMed Occupational & Family Health following my work as chief of occupational medicine at Kino Community Hospital, both located here in Tucson. Currently I am waiting for an appointment as a community governing board member of the Global Health Institute with the College of Public Health at the university, where I will be actively involved in the online MPH program. I also will be serving as an occupational health and safety consultant for Joy Global, a mining company with locations in several countries, including Southeast Asia.

Bonnie Curtis

Class of 1980, BS in Chemical Engineering
bacurtis58@gmail.com

I work at Procter & Gamble. I started as a shift supervisor making Tide right out of college, and now I'm responsible for all of product supply globally for our highly regulated businesses – Crest, Scope, Vicks, Pepto-Bismol, Oral B, etc. I have 19 sites globally and about 5,000 people.

William T. Clemons

Class of 1988, BS in Chemical Engineering
bclemons4@netzero.net

I am a computer systems engineer. I am a contractor for mid- and upstream oil-gas-water petroleum refining. I spend about half of my time in office and the other half in the field.

Scott Bemis

Class of 1992, BS in Chemical Engineering
scottbemis@gmail.com

I work in Dow Chemical Co.'s Michigan operations in Midland as the responsible care leader for the site. As RCL I am responsible for the environmental, health, safety, security and regulatory performance of a chemical manufacturing complex that employs approximately 4,000 people. I have worked at Dow since my graduation 26 years ago!

Laura Ann Chin

Class of 2010, BS in Chemical Engineering
lchin@email.arizona.edu

After graduating I pursued graduate school, also in chemical engineering, at Villanova University (Class of 2012) – a fellow Wildcat. My passion for chemical engineering did not end on graduation day, but continues to be a driving force behind the work I do on a daily basis.

I have grown so much over the past few years: From starting my career in the biotechnology and life sciences industry with Jacobs Engineering to CRB, to my current position consulting as a process engineer for Genesis Engineers in Plymouth Meeting, Pennsylvania. I still am actively involved with the professional chapter of AIChE because I am a firm believer that chemical engineering extends to communities beyond the workplace.

I'm so honored to be mentoring Dr. Kim Ogden's spring 2017 senior design class, as my group's project aligns very closely with the work I do in biotechnology. In 2015, when I was awarded Young Chemical Engineer of the Year by AIChE, my message to my fellow chemical engineers was never be afraid to work hard, to continuously challenge yourself beyond your comfort zone, and to stop comparing yourself with others. Set your own goals and standards, and strategize your resources to make them happen!

Hussain Alkhatam

Class of 2012, BS in Chemical Engineering
alkhatam7m@gmail.com

I currently work as a process engineer at WorleyParsons, which delivers projects; provides expertise in engineering, procurement and construction; and offers a wide range of consulting and advisory services.

As a process engineer, my responsibilities include, but are not limited to developing drawings such as PFDs and P&IDs; equipment sizing such as pumps, tanks and pressure relieve valves; and hydraulic calculations. Those are example of the deliverables I prepare for clients such as Saudi Aramco and Sabic.

Kim Crawford

Class of 2012, BS in Chemical Engineering
kcrawford16@gmail.com

This photo was taken somewhere in the Western Pacific. While it's not exactly the space I work in, it's the unclassified spot we were able to take pictures. I'm second from the left and the others are girls I work with on the aircraft carrier John C. Stennis. We are all nuclear surface warfare officers in the Navy and currently operate the two nuclear reactors onboard that power the ship. We also each manage a division in the department: Mine is reactor electrical, which maintains all the generators and electrical distribution system on the ship.

I graduated in 2012 with a degree in chemical engineering and would be fine if anyone wanted to contact me about what I do.

I hope someone finds this helpful in deciding to study chem-e!

Caitlin Schnitzer

Class of 2013, BS in Chemical Engineering
cjschnit@gmail.com

I'm currently working for Schlumberger Technology Corp. as a senior field engineer in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Israel.

I absolutely adore the professors in the CHEE department at UA, and I wouldn't be where I am today without them. Other students and alumni are more than welcome to contact me.

Aidan Blum

Class of 2016, BS in Chemical Engineering
blum.aidan@gmail.com

I am a project engineer with PVS Chemicals Inc. I project manage larger capital improvement projects and standards across the company's U.S. plants.

Paola Lopez

Class of 2016, BS in Chemical Engineering and Mathematics
paola_lopez@berkeley.edu

I am a PhD student pursuing a degree in bioengineering in the UC Berkeley-UCSF joint bioengineering program. In the first year of this program, graduate students are required to do three rotations at three different labs before deciding which lab to settle in to pursue their thesis. This year I worked on developing a bioartificial pancreas for Type I diabetes treatment and using CRISPR to study cytoskeletal remodeling and migration. I am currently working on developing photoreceptor cells for treating retinal pigmentosa.

I would love to answer any questions regarding my experience at the University of Arizona, balancing school work, research, and extracurricular activities, as well as applying to graduate school.