What began as a summer internship turned into a career path for Michael Powell, a Slippery Rock University chemistry major who will graduate next year with a job offer waiting for him in his dream career field.
A senior from Mt. Joy (Manheim Central HS), Powell will join Metso as a laboratory operations technician upon graduating in the spring after completing a summer internship as a lab technician. Metso is a Finnish industrial company that provides sustainable technologies for aggregates, mining, recycling and metals refining.
Throughout his three-month-long role in Metso’s test center in York, Powell worked on projects ranging from sample preparation, laboratory inventory and integrating standard protocols for chemical reactions. Powell’s work introduced him to collaborative global experiences, working with labs in Texas, California and even as far as a Finland and Brazil.
“I learned the administrative work of a laboratory, something you can’t get without experience, and I also learned how to be extremely analytical,” Powell said. “I learned industrial instrumentation, which was a huge bonus, versus research instrumentation that most college labs have.”
After showing his chemistry expertise and refining his skills, Powell was offered a temporary, year-long role at the York lab, where he will focus on elemental analysis, inventory and communication between labs.
“Chemistry has always been my passion, but I often thought about if I would be able to create a career out of it,” he said. “What this opportunity showed me was that science isn’t dead.”
Powell said he was able to use his experience at SRU to achieve his new position. He attributes his experience as the president of the Chemistry Club at SRU, research with faculty and professional guidance by professors Qi Chen, associate professor of chemistry, and Thaddeus Boron, professor of chemistry, to his success in securing his job with Metso.
“I noticed SRU was the most welcoming college in terms of the educational environment when I was first looking to apply and visited the campus,” Powell said. “Analogue research with Dr. Chen and career advice from Dr. Boron are what set me up with Metso.”
More information about the chemistry programs is available on the department’s webpage.
