Student Stories
Chemical Engineering Co-Op Story: Evonik
Carter Wilborn
Chemical Engineering
What company or organization did you co-op with and where are they located?
Evonik; Birmingham, Alabama
How did you identify and apply for your co-op? Are there any specific resources you used to find the opportunity (i.e. Handshake, career fairs, other recruitment events)?
Handshake!
What was the application process like?
I submitted an application on handshake and was contacted by the co-op manager at Evonik to do an online interview and was hired on after.
Tell us about your co-op experience. What types of tasks and projects did you engage in? Was there a particular project or part of the experience you learned the most from?
Evonik makes parental finish drugs and bioresorbable polymer at the two locations in Birmingham. My tasks consist of Cleaning Validation protocol review and editing, Swabbing for microbiological testing, cleaning process equipment, batch set up/ preparation, equipment qualification, equipment effectiveness tracking, and general clean room upkeep/inventory.
In what ways did your co-op experience help you prepare for your next destination after Auburn?
I gained a lot of knowledge within the polymer industry as well as fill finish drug product manufacturing. I also received various trainings that will be an asset to carry to any job site. I have gained a six sigma belt that I will continuously improve as my career goes on. I have a much better understanding of manufacturing and how the different parts of a large company all work together.
In what ways did your coursework or other experiences at Auburn prepare you for your co-op work experience? Are there specific topics or skills you learned from classes that you put into practice on the job?
I think learning about process flow, heat transfer, and pressure transfer have all been very beneficial to my co-op experience. I have had to perform many pressure transfers with very strong cleaning solutions which requires a great knowledge of pressure transfer and the flow of the process to ensure safety of all operators and the equipment.