April 2019 Student of the Month

Cullen Pearson

Senior

When and where was your internship experience?
I’m currently interning at Eastman Chemical for the spring 2019 term.

Tell us about your internship.
I am an intern in the Materials Team at Eastman Chemical. My job mainly entails failure analysis and materials selection. This lets me spend time doing hands-on lab work, devising experiments, and presenting my findings. Given the size of Eastman, there are many problems that require the expertise of materials engineers, so the workload is extremely fast paced and diverse.

How did the experience benefit you?
Going from research and academia to industry has been a fulfilling experience. The volume and pacing of work has enabled my own growth as an engineer. The diversity of work lets me apply the skills and knowledge I’ve gained at UT MSE differently than in research, in that I am rarely looking to perfect a theory but rather find the most ideal engineering solution.

Do you have any advice for other students considering an internship or co-op?
It goes without saying that internships and co-ops offer invaluable experience and acumen to anyone’s undergraduate career. I highly recommend spending time in industry, even if your interests are strictly in research, because internships and co-ops have the potential to inform your decisions about your post-undergrad path.

What else are you involved in?
I work under Dr. Suresh Babu studying the Flash Processing of steels. My time in Suresh’s group has been a formative experience, giving me the skills and resume that made me a competitive candidate for internships. I am also president and founder of the Blacksmithing Club, which recently won the “most beautiful blade” award at the TMS 2019 Bladesmithing Competition. Check out the blade in the lobby of Ferris Hall!