Ranilyn Angel Manalac, Chemical Engineering, Class of 2028

Where are you interning, and what is your role?

This summer, I am working as an undergraduate research assistant in the Sustainability Design and Systems Medicine Lab at Rowan University. My research focuses on minimizing, recycling, and finding alternatives to sulfur hexafluoride (SF₆), a greenhouse gas with a high global warming potential widely used in electrical power systems.

What projects or assignments are you working on?

I have been working on modeling SF₆ recovery processes using Aspen Plus and using machine learning to identify promising gases that could be alternatives to SF₆.

What does a typical day look like?

My day varies. I may spend the day doing Aspen Plus simulations, reading research papers, collecting data for machine learning, or learning more Python and machine learning concepts.

What Rowan class or experience has helped you most?

My Chemical Engineering coursework from sophomore year has definitely given me a foundation to understand the thermodynamics and separation processes behind the Aspen Plus simulations. It is interesting to see concepts from class being applied to an actual research problem.

What new technical or professional skill have you developed?

I have learned a lot from this experience. I developed my public speaking and communication skills through weekly research presentations. I have also gained experience with Aspen Plus and Python, which I believe are incredibly useful tools in our field.

What has surprised you about working in the Chemical Engineering field?

What surprised me most is how interdisciplinary chemical engineering can be. Our research touches on electrical systems, environmental sustainability, and machine learning. I have also learned that research rarely follows a straight path, and sometimes figuring out the right question to ask is just as important as finding the answer.

How has a faculty member or mentor supported you?

Through discussions and feedback, Dr. Hesketh and Dr. Yenkie have helped me become more comfortable asking questions, expressing my opinions, and exploring unfamiliar topics. They constantly encourage me to challenge myself and grow in areas where I am less confident.

What advice would you give another student pursuing an internship?

Make connections. Be it during classes, Industry Day, career fairs, or department socials, networking is important. It helps you put yourself out there and make yourself known. I would say, take a leap of faith when in doubt because, if not, you’ll never know what’s on the other side.

At the same time, remember that you don’t need to know everything at the beginning. However, always be ready to learn, ask questions, take notes, and, most importantly, speak up when something confuses you.

Complete the sentence: “This summer, I am helping to…”

… develop more sustainable solutions for recovering and replacing SF₆, one of the most potent greenhouse gases used in the electrical power industry.