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Katie is a member of the Young Professional Advisory Board and is a petroleum engineer working for Chevron in Bakersfield, CA. She is a graduate of the University of Kansas and received her BS ChE in 2009. In the spring of 2011, Katie began attending USC part-time while pursuing a MS Engr in Green Technologies. While at Kansas, she held various positions of leadership for the AIChE student section and was the student chapter president in 2008. After several internships in the pulp and paper industry, Katie decided to test out the water in the upstream oil and gas industry by interning with Chevron. Now, she works in a new technologies group leading a software development team in the creation of solutions for optimizing oil production processes. Within Chevron, Katie is actively involved in employee networks and is an officer for a new-employee/young generation network. Outside of work, Katie takes advantage of California's beautiful outdoors and enjoys cycling, skiing and yoga.
Below is my recent interview with Katie
Felicia: Where are you from? Katie: I'm currently living in Bakersfield, CA, but my roots are in small-town, rural Kansas. Felicia: Where did you complete/are you completing your chemical engineering education? Katie: University of Kansas (Go Jayhawks!). Felicia: How long have you been a member of AIChE? Katie: I've been a professional member for two years. Felicia: What company/institution do you work for? Katie: I work at Chevron Corporation as a project manager in the new technologies group (i-field). Felicia: Describe a recent challenge you managed, notable achievement, or obstacle you overcame at your job or in your work as an AIChE member? Katie: When I was hired at Chevron, I was faced with a very challenging first assignment. With only one internship in upstream and a couple of classes in programming, I was given the position of Project Manager for a petroleum engineering software development project. Suddenly, I had upwards of 15 people working on my team with pressure coming from all directions to define deliverables, set timelines, and deliver a valuable product to engineers and earth scientists. Luckily, I had great mentors within arm's reach and I sought guidance from several sources. While doing homework on the side, learning to program, manage data, build maps, etc., I faced the challenge head-on and haven't regretted a minute of it. As a ChemE, we are taught to look at the whole process and are able to break complex problems into smaller, manageable problems. Having that background in ChemE provided me with the necessary problem-solving skills required for project management and ultimately got me through this challenging first assignment! Felicia: What do you do to meet people in your field? Katie: Working for a large oil company, it's easy to meet other chemical and petroleum engineers within the company through networking events, young professionals organizations, and social events. I've also expanded my network through my involvement in AIChE. I've attended several national meetings as both a student and a professional attendee. At last year's national meeting, I met quite a few young professionals and ended up joining the AIChE Young Professionals Advisory Board. Felicia: Tell us a little bit about yourself: What is one of your hobbies? How do you spend your spare time? What's your favorite place to travel? Or anything else you'd like to share... Katie: I spend a lot of my time outdoors, cycling, jogging, or hiking. On the weekends, my buddies and I usually take off to the beach, Los Angeles, the sequoias, Vegas, etc. so there's never a dull moment! Although I don't have much spare time, I've decided to continue my education and have recently started a Masters of Engineering Green Technologies program at USC. I really thought that I would slow down a little bit after undergrad, but that absolutely was not the case! Felicia: Where can readers ChEnect with you (other than ChEnected)? Katie: I can be reached through my LinkedIn page.
Comments
Congrats Katie!