WASHINGTON, PA (Sept. 17, 2020)—One W&J senior is getting a taste for mechanical engineering thanks to support from the College’s Maxwell Internship Fund.
Ty Bedillion ’21, a physics and engineering major completing W&J’s 3-2 program with Washington University, interned with DMI Companies, the largest heating, ventilation, and air conditioning accessories manufacturer in North America. While working with the business, Ty identified critical life products and tested their components for points of failure or any defects. He wrote standard operating procedures for testing these items and updated any documentation on the products themselves to make sure everything was up to date as well.
“I learned the basics of engineering and what things to look for in a product when designing, testing, or improving upon it,” Ty said. “My favorite memory was testing a product at 2,150 degrees Fahrenheit. I had to wear this tin foil-looking jacket and super thick oven mitts to even put the piece into the furnace. It was so hot that it turned the stainless-steel stands to dust.”
His experience in the lab at W&J gave Ty the background he needed to be able to thrive with DMI.
“The lab procedures at W&J helped me a lot with understanding how to write a standard procedure for testing. It also helped me organize my tests and understand the proper steps and documentation I needed for these tests,” he said.
Completing the internship during the COVID-19 pandemic introduced some new challenges for Ty while he was completing tests on the job. He had to be careful to follow social distancing procedures and wear a mask at all times he moved about the plant conducting tests. It also meant he needed to find a place to stay—which the Maxwell scholarship helped him secure.
Now in his senior year of his bachelor’s program at W&J, Ty is completing his dual degree at Washington University in St. Louis. When finished with the program, he will have achieved his bachelor’s degree from W&J and both a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Washington University.
“As I head off to Washington University in St. Louis to finish my engineering education, I know that this internship will give me a step ahead of my peers in real world experience,” Ty said. “This will be an internship I will never forget as it is my first stepping stone in the engineering career ahead of me.”
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, located in Washington, Pa., is a selective liberal arts college founded in 1781. Committed to providing each of its students with the highest-quality undergraduate education available, W&J offers a traditional arts and sciences curriculum emphasizing interdisciplinary study and independent study work. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.
