Chemical Engineering Co-Op Story: Evonik

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Ishan Patel

Chemical Engineering

What company or organization did you co-op with and where are they located?

Evonik; Birmingham, Alabama

How did you identify and apply for your co-op? Are there any specific resources you used to find the opportunity (i.e. Handshake, career fairs, other recruitment events)?

Co-Op fair; Handshake (covid year)

What was the application process like?

Simple first round interview with second interview

Tell us about your co-op experience. What types of tasks and projects did you engage in? Was there a particular project or part of the experience you learned the most from?

Pharmaceuticals; reverse engineering and GMP processes with targeted drug delivery processes. I was in R&D which helped me figure out I really like research.

In what ways did your co-op experience help you prepare for your next destination after Auburn?

Gave clear goals for my future endeavors like masters and Ph.D.

In what ways did your coursework or other experiences at Auburn prepare you for your co-op work experience? Are there specific topics or skills you learned from classes that you put into practice on the job?

Pharmaceutical is very specific but Thermo and Fluid Dynamic classes gave me a good background understanding that I was able to connect the links to industry and class material.

Do you have any advice for other students seeking a co-op experience?

Be open to anything because there is many things that industry can offer.