Henry A. Dul - 2017 Steel Intern Scholar
This summer I had the privilege of working at Nucor Steel–Decatur LLC as a metallurgy intern. This was my first internship experience, and through the program I was able to develop connections not only with steel industry professionals but also with other students pursuing careers in the steel industry. My internship experience has taught me that being able to communicate with and learn from employees in any position within a company, and being willing to try something new that might not work, are just as important as having a solid academic background.
Some of the projects I worked on this summer included determining the heat losses through tunnel furnace “windows” and exploring different refractory solutions for these windows as well as examining the effects that a sticker slowdown has on mechanical and microstructural properties. In order to complete these projects, I had to learn from other employees; not just other engineers, but tunnel furnace techs and pulpit operators too. Through these conversations, I learned invaluable details about how a mill is run, business acumen as it pertains to steel production and the balancing act of working around people’s tight schedules.
Following my graduation from Missouri University of Science and Technology, I feel that I would be happiest and would be able to have the greatest impact on steel technology if I were to continue my education through a graduate program sponsored by industry. This would allow me to further my understanding of the mechanisms at work during steel production and then be able to tweak the processes related to these mechanisms to improve the product. A balance between work and study is very important to me, and this scholarship has given me the opportunity to come to this realization and continue my pursuit toward advancing the steel industry.