Alumni Spotlight: Clint Hess’16
As a recent engineering graduate of the College of Aeronautics and Engineering (CAE), Clint Hess’16, has already earned the role of a Foundry Manager with Adalet Enclosure Systems. As a CAE student, he completed five internships to grow his resume and sort out his industry preferences. He served as a 2018 keynote speaker at the College Industry Conference (CIC) for the Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF). He attributes his experience in a CAE Materials and Processes class as his inspiration for entering his field of practice. Hess has advice for current engineering students and there is work involved. You can connect with Hess via LinkedIn:
How did your experiences at Â鶹ÊÓƵ help you in industry?
My experiences at Â鶹ÊÓƵ gave me real-world knowledge with the same equipment that is used in the industry. From PLCs to Induction furnaces to 3-D Modeling, It helped tremendously learning on the same machines and equipment I am working with today.
Did you feel adequately prepared to enter the workforce after your education at CAE?
Yes! I did feel prepared entering the workforce not only because of my education but because of the internships, I obtained through the help of my professors.
What influenced your decision to work in the industry?
The Materials and Processes class taken early on in my Â鶹ÊÓƵ education influenced my decision. That was my first exposure to liquid metal. I had always seen photos or videos but never saw in it person. Getting to experience that first-hand and figuring out I could make a career out of it, I instantly became hooked and I never looked back.
What is the most exciting part of your job?
The most exciting part of my job is being able to use my education and experience to better my company in ways they never imagined. I get to work on capital projects that implement automation they have never seen before and I get to do that because of the great education I got a Â鶹ÊÓƵ and the real life experiences I got during and after my education.
What is your favorite Â鶹ÊÓƵ memory?
My favorite Â鶹ÊÓƵ memory is my involvement in helping build and design equipment for the lab in the new building. I happened to be doing a summer internship for a company that was donating coreless melting furnaces to the college. Towards the end of the internship and the building being complete, I had to make multiple trips to Â鶹ÊÓƵ to discuss the size of the equipment, power connection needs, layout and overall plan. My professor at the time, Mike Dragomier, was involved in the meetings and at the end of it all just hearing him say how proud he was of me and thanking me for working in this great industry. It meant so much to me and it is a memory I will cherish forever.
What does your average workday look like?
As a Foundry Manager, I assess daily production and weekly production, laying out schedules to complete jobs on time, ordering parts and equipment needed for production, organizing preventative maintenance jobs, dealing with any personnel issues, and overall making sure the department is running smooth. Every day is a different day. Sometimes everything is running smooth and everybody is happy, and other days I might have multiple pieces of equipment down or people not getting along. It is all part of the job.
What has your greatest professional accomplishment been so far?
My greatest professional accomplishment would have to be being the key speaker at the CIC for the FEF. FEF is a conference I attended while in school where students from all over the country involved in the foundry industry get to meet with companies in the industry trying to hire them upon graduation. I was asked to speak at the 2018 conference in Downtown Chicago to about 350 people from all over the country with about a 50/50 split between college students and industry professionals. Being asked to speak at such an event was an honor and a dream of mine ever since leaving the conference when I was a student.
What advice would you give current engineering students?
My advice to engineering students now is get real life experience ASAP. It is never too early to start doing internships. I completed five different internships with four different companies all while in school at Â鶹ÊÓƵ. They helped me gain experience out in industry, helped me pay for part of my college, learned what I did and did not enjoy out in industry, and made my resume look great with lots work experience when finding a full time job after graduation.
What are your thoughts on how Â鶹ÊÓƵ's engineering/applied engineering programs have evolved since you were a student?
I think the Â鶹ÊÓƵ Engineering/Applied Engineering programs are taking huge strides in the right direction. They analyzed the different fields the majority of graduates were taking and they built upon that. Hearing about some of the courses being added almost makes me jealous because I see the benefit it is going to have for those students once they enter into industry. I cannot say enough good things about everything the college is doing to improve students’ education while at Â鶹ÊÓƵ. I love the expansion the Aeronautics and Technology programs took on. It was well needed and deserved. The new equipment and new lab will help educate and prepare students for what is to come out in the industry.