Ibrahim Mohammed Hamed Al-Hinaai, a junior majoring in environmental engineering, doesn’t have a dream job—yet—but he knows he wants to help make a difference for a cleaner, more sustainable world. It’s why he jumped on the opportunity to join five EME students on an energy facilities tour across central and northeastern Pennsylvania. The trip included visits to a wind farm, an active drilling rig, compressor stations, an electric fracturing site, and an acid treatment site. The trip is part of a new initiative to offer students a chance to connect with the local energy industry while building a cross-program community early in student’s academic careers.
Al-Hinaai was drawn to the energy field because he sees a lot of opportunities for personal growth in an industry where demand has been increasing year to year. The chance to be on the vanguard of the energy transition, and address the issues associated with energy production, also appealed to him.
“It was so insightful to see all the different employees and environments and how it all related to the theoretical parts we learn in class,” said Al-Hinnaai.”
Al-Hinnaai had a hard time picking his favorite part of the three-day tour. Seeing the facilitates up close after the long drive on lime-coated backroads and zipping up in the thick, fireproof jumpsuit both stood out in his mind. When he learned about the wind turbine maintenance procedures, which involve wire rigs, suction cups, and dangling more than 260 feet in the air, he laughed as he imaged himself strapped in.
“I don’t know if I see myself being up there,” said Al-Hinnaai. “But if the world requires me to do it, I would be glad to.”
David Spigelmyer Sr., a ‘98 alum in fuel science, has a long career building partnerships as president of the Marcellus Shale Coalition, helped organize the tour. He was encouraged by the students’ continued excitement despite the long days in the sun.
“Providing our students with real-world field experience is a critical component of preparing our next generation of Penn State engineers with the skills necessary to meet the energy demands not only of our nation but countries across the globe. The complex challenges of meeting our future energy demands, all while protecting our environment, is fundamental to the efforts of Penn State’s Energy and Minerals Engineering program. It is encouraging to witness the excitement and curiosity to learn from our Penn State engineering problem solvers. The future is full of challenges, not only to keep the lights on but to meet the growing electricity demands of our technology and transportation sectors. Our Penn State student engineers will be front and center in the production, transportation, and delivery of our future energy sector, and their passion to learn is encouraging.”