At week 2, I am
finishing up all the preliminary readings and narrowing my focus on developing
my own procedures for various methods of testing Halide Mitigation in FGD Purge
Streams. It is a bit tedious, but this project is a great opportunity to apply my
efforts and abilities to real-world problems in the Energy and Power Industry,
and under the guidance of an amazing faculty mentor. Starting from scratch on a
research project is tedious, but essential to the understanding of what
research really is. It is also giving me a chance to reconnect with other
students and faculty I have worked with before, and develop a strong
relationship with my department, as well as gaining support, guidance, and
assistance for my own project from the research team I have been assisting for
the past six months.
For a start to
week 3, I got to tour the facility my sample materials for testing came from
and was able to ask questions and openly communicate with the people from Duke
Power. I learned so much and was able to see where and how my research will be
used in the next few years. It gives what I am working on purpose and meaning
in a whole new way. Not only that but my visit this morning truly opened new
doors for me within the industry. Maybe in the next three to five years,
everyone will be seeing the results of some of my experiences from this summer
in the way Duke operates and how they work to make the environment better
through a proactive, and not a reactive, approach to potential concerns. :)
I had briefly
left UNCC before to attend NCSU, and I decided to come back "home."
Now, I am so glad that I did because I never would have had this communication,
experience, and opportunity at NCSU as an undergraduate student to the extent
that I have here. I love being a 49er!!!
-- Bekah Vestal
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