Hi Scott,

I am glad to hear from you and hopefully I will be able to answer some of your q
uestions.
First, a little about me, I got my BS in Chemical Engineering form Clarkson Univ
ersity in 1986, and received my MS in Engineering Science/ Technology Managment
from Rensellaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in 1999. I am essentially with the
same company since I landed a full time job in January 1988 with what was then F
isher Guide, a division of General Motors. I was a process engineer with respon
sibility for the polypropylene, ABS and adhesive applications in our injection m
olding facility. The plant was closed in Syracuse, NY in 1993 upon which I tran
sferred to our headquarters in Troy, Michigan as a member of the advanced develo
pment group in injection molding. My primary responsibility was running C-Mold
analysis of proposed designs and aid in the runner design. I was also the chair
for the Injection Molding Analysis team for General Motors on two occasions. I
also supported our gas assisted injection molding activity. It was at this tim
e I began my work on my master's degree through the GM Tech Ed program. I never
actually set foot on RPI's campus as a student until after I received my diplom
a. During this time, I transitioned to be the Technology Planner for the Advanc
ed Development Group which required me to interface with the engineering manager
s, sales and marketing teams. I interacted with the other divisions Tech Planne
rs in trying to share practices and knowledge. It was during this time the Delp
hi Corporation was spun off from General Motors, the company I still work for, t
hough in another division.
My next position was an interesting switch from Technology Planning to Intellect
ual Property (patents) when the division was reviewing the patent portfolio for
cost savings. They were looking for engineering support while reviewing the exi
sting portfolio. The division I was in was split and merged with two other exis
ting divisions, and I expressed interest in changing the position I was in as my
main objective was completed and wanted a more substantial challenge. I found
myself in working for Global Supply Management (Purchasing) in supporting their
activities in an engineering based role. It was a temporary position until I sa
w and applied for my current job as a Product Engineer for the Solid Oxide Fuel
Cell being developed for production. Accepting this position relocated me back
to upstate New York from which I started. This position, 18.5 years in my caree
r, is the closest I have had to chemical engineering, and the position was askin
g for a mechanical engineer.
What I think my career shows is that having a degree in chemical engineering can
open a variety of doors for you. When I graduated in 1986, the oil industry wa
s not making money as they are now and many chemical engineers were let go. My
class found positions for 65% of the graduates, or so I heard. This was a very
good percentage that year. Two years later, it was over 90% and friends of mine
had multiple offers. It is hard to anticipate what the demand will be, but I w
ould recommend that you look at AIChE information that is published. This is th
e professional society in which there are many postings of positions nationally
and you may gage what the activity is like in specific areas of chemical enginee
ring. Several friends of mine are working for New York State in wastewater trea
tment and other environmental focused positions. One is a reviewer of patents
for the government. One friend who is exceptional has worked his way to being t
he President of Norwich Pharmaceuticals.
Each of us chose chemical engineering for different reasons, but all of us start
ed with a love of chemistry and mathematics. Some people will double major in c
hemistry in addition to chemical engineering, but that was well over 25 years ag
o and requirements may have changed. I was undeclared my freshman year and took
basic chemistry with the several hundred other engineering majors at Clarkson.
I did not feel that it hindered me much when I was taking Physical Chemistry or
 Organic Chemistry, but those that declared sooner did have other courses freshm
an year that gave them some edge over me. Physics was pretty minimal for us. C
hemical Engineering courses included Chemical Process Calculations, Thermodynami
cs, Fluid Mechanics, Mass Transfer and Design to name a few. Difficulty was mor
e determined by the professor more than anything else. I was one to go it alone
and did not seek help from the professors. They are being paid good money to i
nstruct, and you are paying them, so USE THEM! I may have had an easier time if
I had the nerve to regularly meet with my instructors for help in understanding
when I was having difficulty. That is my biggest regret in college is not taki
ng advantage of this. They are people, and I was one of those who put them on a
pedestal and was too timid to talk.
Chemical Engineering is one of the hardest majors out there. It was not until m
y last Chemical Engineering class, our Lab, that I knew I picked the correct maj
or for myself. I had tremendous doubt due to one particularly difficult course
my first semester senior year. In applying the knowledge I gained in the prior
three years, I found the lab exciting and challenging. I might add, being very
strong in english and writing skills is critical!! I cannot begin to discuss th
e written tragedies I had to deal with in working with other classmates and coll
eagues papers.
In all, I have had a tremendous series of experiences in my career and was able
to move around and be successful while having chemical engineering degree. It o
pened the first door, which led to many others. Being persistent and flexible,
two key qualities learned in my classes, has helped me stay employed continuousl
y since hired in 1988. I am not sure where I will be heading next, but I am not
overly worried.
Good luck in figuring out what you really enjoy, and finding the school that wil
l help you achieve your goal. If you want to know anything else about me, Clark
son, RPI or any other school in New York, I am not a bad reference! Pay attenti
on to Mr. Benigna, he is an extremely smart man who I have great respect for.
Sincerely,
Duane Jones

As far as pay, generally, chemical engineering does pretty well. Pay will depen
d on the field you are in, but trust me, do not let the money guide you on your
decisions. Chemical Engineering covers a wide spectrum of industry, and each ha
s their own pay scale. Do what really interests you first, and you will really
enjoy, and the money will follow. The happiest people you may know may not be t
he wealthiest, sappy, I know, but true.
I had to pay loans so I was not looking for grad work right out of college. Aga
in, if what you are wanting to pursue requires a Masters or PhD, then you will w
ant to look at how to make that happen. Many corporations, the larger ones, wil
l have education benefits. The GM Tech Ed program was one that I was able to us
e to get my Masters degree and not have to pay anything. That worked well for m
e. It was interesting to get back into college work after so many years, but it
is a different environment. My masters contained a lot of statistics for the E
ngineering part of it, but I cannot say I have used it or remember it now. Of c
ourse, if my job immediately required the use of it, I am sure I would have reta
ined more. My pay did increase upon completion of the degree.

As with any job, there are good days and bad days. I enjoy doing the research a
nd studying the responses of tests conducted in our labs. I enjoy less the look
ing for the necessary components and dealing with suppliers. I am a product eng
ineer by title in charge of several components supporting the fuel reactor side
of a solid oxide fuel cell. It is advanced development so very interesting and
frustrating! Going through the data can be monotonous, but is a necessary evil
and that is where you find the stuff you are looking. Of course, it comes down
to individual temperment and what you are working on.
My day is often looks at testing results of stuff I have being done, or of the e
ntire system testing that is happening. Limited resources are preventing me fro
m being able to do some of the testing I would like to have done independently.
I am also working with designers to complete specifications of components I am
responsible for, as well as working with some suppliers to build the components
we need once we get into full production.
Delphi requires that I wear pants other than jeans when not in the lab. They go
t rid of the tie requirement many years ago. When meeting with customers, and e
ven suppliers, business attire is necessary, but we are still fairly casual. Ea
ch company has it's own standards, and it does come down to the environment as w
ell. Often, ties are not required in a working plant environment as they can be
a safety issue.