Indiana to Scotland: A Purdue Alumna Reflects

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WE Link welcomes another Alumna of Purdue Engineering to tell us about her experiences at Purdue and beyond. Kat was able to fill her time on campus with various involvements and experiences that taught her to set high goals for herself. Check out her story below!


I think back so fondly on my time at Purdue – amazing it has already been five years since I graduated with my Bachelor’s in Mechanical Engineering.  While originally navigating the college selection process, I thought I should go to university in a city or else I would be bored, but I eventually found myself in the Midwest surrounded by cornfields and I am truly forever grateful for my Purdue engineering education.  I would pick Purdue again and again for all the lessons I’ve learned, the friends I’ve made and the adventures I’ve enjoyed as a result of my time in West Lafayette.

Growing up in Texas as the oldest of four siblings, I was ready to strike out on my own journey.  Engineering and problem-solving had been long-term passions of mine and Purdue afforded many opportunities – undergraduate research, prospective student outreach, school representation, study abroad and collaborative design experiences – to develop technical knowledge and leadership skills with a focus on global engineering.  Going to school away from home encouraged me to build strong connections with fellow students leading to many Purdue football tailgates and all sorts of weekend adventures and lifelong friends.  Expanding my comfort zone in college also made it easier to look to further horizons.

After my Purdue graduation, I began working with Chevron in Louisiana as a Project Facilities Engineer supporting asset development activities through oil and gas infrastructure expansions.  This exciting experience brought me to California where I managed facility upgrade projects with system-wide optimizations and a strong emphasis on process safety.  Three years later, I made the leap to graduate school in Scotland where I am now working on my Master’s in Sustainable Energy Systems at the University of Edinburgh.  Building on my industry experiences, I am fascinated by the global complexities of energy and motivated to support ongoing transitions towards lower-carbon technologies.

In short, life has been a wild adventure so far and I know that my decision to attend Purdue enabled me to build a strong foundation both inside and outside the classroom.  I urge you to find mentors, learn to trust your own abilities and develop a healthy appreciation of the world around you – Purdue opens the doors, you just have to step through them.  BOILER UP!

- Katherine (Kat) Frangos
Purdue Alumna BSME '14

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Comments

  1. Narayana Rao K.V.S.S.February 11, 2020 at 7:47 AM

    Industrial engineering has an important role to play in sustainability. It is because, industrial engineering is focused on resource minimization in engineering products and processes. As a graduate in sustainability, it will be good if you develop collaboration with purdue industrial engineering students.

    What is industrial engineering and what are its principles
    Principles of Industrial Engineering - IISE Conference Presentation

    ReplyDelete

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