- Major: Chemical Engineering
- Company: Lanxess Corporation
- Graduation Year: 2025
- E-mail: vicjrapa@vols.utk.edu
Profile
Hi, my name is Victoria Rapalo! I am a senior in chemical engineering, and through the help of Engineering Professional Practice at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, I was able to secure a co-op at Lanxess Corporation in Memphis, TN from the summer of 2021 to the summer of 2022. Lanxess is a global company based in Germany, and the specific site I worked on specialized in a powder disinfectant called Oxone. I loved getting to apply my theoretical knowledge to the physical upkeep of a chemical plant.
While I worked on co-op, I was one of two co-ops, and I had the best boss and mentor! We all got hired around the same time, and my mentor was a chemical engineer from UT as well. I was assigned a range of projects: I was able to supervise construction teams we hired, teach a necessary training class to incoming staff, calculate the monthly air emissions along with a final yearly report, take chemical samples and data for testing, review 'bad actors', and many more.
My favorite project was when I got to apply my heat transfer classes to my work. I was asked to conduct an experiment taking heat transfer data from over a year to predict when we would need to do a pipe cleaning, also known as a boil out. Being able to predict when a boil out was needed would allow us to not have to stop production at random times and save a lot of money. While working on my co-op, I was able to see the process of turning liquid from the rail cars into a final dried particulate. I also gained a new perspective on how important it is to really learn the material taught in school and how effort in the present always pays off in the final project.
I find engineering intellectually and ethically fulfilling. I also enjoy philosophy, reading, watching comedy videos, going outdoors, and working out. I also have an artistic side that I express through music and painting. As an ambassador, I hope to help other students find their own amazing work experience.
