Corporate Profiles: Energy, Gas & Utilities
Rewarding Jobs In This Sector Make A Difference In The Social And Economic Fabric Of The Country.
By Lorraine A. DarConte

The country, says Cree applications engineer, Saritha Rajamma, is getting close to the point where it has exhausted traditional sources of energy such as core petroleum and natural gas. So it's no surprise the focus today is on renewable/green sources of energy such as solar, wind, and tidal energy. Students considering careers in the energy, gas, and utilities industries are likely to find interesting, rewarding jobs that will make a difference in the social and economic fabric of the country, both now and down the road.

Cree—An LED Revolution
As an applications engineer of solid-state lighting at Cree, manufacturer of LED-related products, Saritha Rajamma spends her days conducting failure analysis of semiconductor devices (mainly LEDs) for the company's many customers. "My main responsibility," states Rajamma, "is to analyze materials returned from customers. I perform testing and inspection of LED devices to find the root cause of failures, then document the work and issue an official, detailed report to the customer. In the process, I use various analytical techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), real time x-Ray analysis, focused ion beam (FIB), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, and electrical testing." Each LED device Rajamma handles is different, so the process, she notes, is much like an investigation.
  "Each complaint I receive from the customer is unique," she reiterates, "so it's more or less an open-ended problem with no prescribed framework. The investigative process is interesting, as it's very much like a crime scene investigation. I look at the circumstantial evidence to find the fatal flaw—what caused the LED not to work—by using an integrative problem-solving approach."
Rajamma's job is challenging on many levels, one being the semiconductor industry moves quickly and she needs to keep up with that fast-paced environment. "At the same time," adds Rajamma, "it's rewarding because I get to work with a team of technical experts in the field of solid-state lighting."
 Finding solutions for improvement—what's the best way Cree's customers can use its LEDs—also provides Rajamma with a lot of satisfaction. Cree nurtures her technical curiosity so that Rajamma can use her background in material science to solve the technical issues.
Rajamma is originally from India where she earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in geology. "As a kid I was fascinated with rocks and minerals; how they were formed; and various factors of the evolution of the continents," admits Rajamma, whose mother was a physics teacher. "My mother wanted me to learn physics, but I decided to go to school for geology because I had a genuine interest. I actually compromised with a geology major and physics minor."
Rajamma came to the Corning, NY, because her husband was working here. While in Corning, she met and spoke with numerous experts in the geology field who were working in telecommunications who suggested she earn a degree in glass science so she could do the same. At the time, notes Rajamma, Corning was heavily invested in fiber optics. Rajamma eventually earned a master’s degree in class science engineering from the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred University, in Alfred, NY.
After graduation, she joined Corning's optical fiber division where she worked with low loss optical fibers and photonic band gap fibers. After Corning, she worked at Delphi Electronics and Safety in Kokomo, IN, in the automobile industry, and then Rohm and Haas in Blacksburg, VA, where she immersed herself in reliability and failure analysis of opto-electronic packages, including laser diodes. 
  According to Rajamma, energy is a great field for students to consider as the country's energy needs are increasing every day. "We're near the point where we've exhausted traditional sources of energy like coal, petroleum, and natural gas," states Rajamma. "So we're more focused on renewable sources of energy like solar, wind, and tidal energy. I would certainly recommend students look for careers in energy because it's in the forefront right now, especially renewable and green energies like LEDs. In the next 20 years, other sources like incandescent bulbs will be obsolete.”
  Congress passed the Energy Independence and Security Act on December 18, 2007, setting new energy-efficiency standards for general service incandescent lamps. The law states conventional incandescent light bulbs must be between 25% and 30% more efficient by 2012 to 2014. The traditional 75-watt bulb will have to meet the new standards in 2013, while the 60-watt and 40-watt bulbs must comply by 2014.
  "Cree is leading the LED lighting revolution," declares Rajamma. "New graduates aspiring to a career in energy should certainly look at LED lighting as it has a lot of advantages over traditional lighting."
For one, she notes, LEDs are a green source of energy that emit less carbon dioxide and contains no mercury, therefore creating less pollution. They also require less energy to produce the same amount of light as older, more traditional sources. "When you take these things into consideration," reports Rajamma, "the renewable energy options and LED lighting fields are quite attractive."
Although Rajamma admits it's difficult to predict the job market at this time, she says Cree, unlike other large corporations, has been hiring people even in this down economy. "Most of the green energy corporations create jobs at this point," she states, "which is another reason it's a good industry in which to join."
As for her future, Rajamma would like to remain in this industry, focusing on technical solutions. "I also would like to gain more expertise in LEDs, especially reliability and characterization of new LED products for Cree," says Rajamma, who admits to enjoying the company's fast-paced, technical environment. "In my job, I can interact with customers and enjoy the satisfaction I get from solving problems for them. I don't think I'd find that anywhere else. This is by far one of the best jobs I've ever had. It's technically challenging, but also very rewarding. You can make things happen at Cree," concludes Rajamma.
  Cree leads the LED lighting revolution and making energy-wasting traditional lighting technologies obsolete through the use of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly LED lighting. Cree is a market-leading innovator of lighting-class LEDs, LED lighting, and semiconductor solutions for wireless and power applications. Cree’s product families include LED fixtures and bulbs, blue and green LED chips, high-brightness LEDs, lighting-class power LEDs, power-switching devices, and radio-frequency/wireless devices. Cree solutions drive improvements in applications such as general illumination, backlighting, electronic signs and signals, variable-speed motors, and wireless communications. For more information, visit www.cree.com

Exelon—Portfolio Of Electricity Generation Capacity
For Exelon's senior reactor operator in-training, Henrietta Onumah, the Byron Nuclear Generating Station in Byron, IL, is the ultimate classroom. She spends her days in "school" from 7 am to 3:30 pm, where she studies for her senior reactor operator license. "I'm an initial license trainee (ILT)," explains Onumah, "which means I'm a senior reactor operator in training. My daily activities are much like any other students I get up in the morning, drive to work, and I attend classes. I learn about systems components and the scientific basis for every system at the power plant."
Onumah will train for two years, and then be tested by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) in order to earn her license. Prior to her position at the Byron Nuclear Generating Station, Onumah was a reactor engineer and system engineer at Clinton Power Station.
  After Onumah earns her license, she will be appointed the station's senior reactor operator—the individual in command of the control room. There, she will guide reactor operators in their daily activities. If an incident or event occurs, Onumah would act as incident commander doling out both information and commands to employees while following charts and procedures that have been prepared for them.
"The industry has changed greatly since the 1979 Three Mile Island accident," says Onumah, who points to Japan's recent incident as a good example of how the industry has shifted. "Communications went out immediately as events happened in Japan. The industry as a whole—all over the world—pulled together to ensure they were getting all the support and help they needed. Also, we saw the dedication of the operators that stayed at Japan's plant. They knew they were responsible for not just their families and friends but the entire community. I know that's what I would do in that situation. I am dedicated to enhance the community and ensuring their safety. My family lives only 16 miles from the plant; so whatever I do, I have to consider how it's going to affect them."
  There's an old adage that states, “When you meet your calling, you'll know it.” Onumah says she stumbled upon hers while attending Oberlin College, where she earned a bachelor’s of arts degree in physics. She also earned a master’s of science degree in nuclear engineering from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign). "I went to Oberlin as a math major. My assigned advisor in the math department was not enthusiastic about my choice," recalls Onumah who admits, when you’re young, it's best to have help from someone who's aware of all the possibilities.
In the physics department, she met professor Dan Styer, who convinced her she could do anything, including being a physics major. "He led me on the path to nuclear energy. He was one of the best advisors I ever had," she declares.
The nuclear industry is made for people to continually learn and improve themselves. "Students who need to look for a place where they will learn, be challenged and grow—not just as a scientist, but also as an individual—should consider nuclear power. From an economic perspective," she adds, "the industry pays very well. It also has matured over time. Individuals who were in the industry in their early 20's are 50-years-old now, and the younger generation approaches 30, leaving a big gap. So the industry looks to hire individuals who are willing to work and put in the time so they can close that gap."
  Hence, there are job opportunities to be found. "It's a great industry and Exelon is a great company to work for as it's the biggest nuclear holder in the U.S.," continues Onumah. "From a growth perspective, energy is an essential part of the social/economic well-being of our country. And we will always need nuclear power because it's a green source of energy that's also affordable and reliable. Plus, nuclear power can't be outsourced, so you'll always have a job."
Who can work in nuclear power? Pretty much everyone, answers Onumah. "There's room for every major in nuclear power. There are a minimum amount of nuclear engineers at any given power plant. There are upwards of 600 employees at the Byron plant, 10 to 20 of whom are nuclear engineers. The bulk of engineers are electrical and mechanical, and they take care of different systems and components. They really run the plant," she admits.
There's a wide variety of people who work together at nuclear power plants such as project managers, lawyers, communications/English majors; chemists, and a host of others.
  A proponent of higher education, Onumah has obtained further training at Illinois State University in project management and is a fellow of the World Nuclear University in Oxford, Great Britain. Additionally, she has been a site team leader and active member of National American Young Generation in Nuclear (NAY-GN), CPS chapter. "NAY-GN has provided me with great opportunities to speak, attend conferences, and meet with like-minded nuclear enthusiasts and talk about our industry and how to make it better," states Onumah, who also volunteers as a math coach for high-school students, works with the special needs students, Boys and Girl Scouts of America, and a number of other not-for-profit organizations.
  Onumah began her career at Exelon right out of graduate school when she was 22, and says her goals for the next three to five years are to earn her senior reactor operator license and work with her assigned crew. "In the next ten to 15 years, I would like to be the next Ursula M. Burns, the first African-American woman CEO (Xerox) to head a Fortune 500 company of the nuclear industry,” states Onumah, who says she has developed beyond her imagination.
"I've had opportunities that have pushed and stretched me in all different ways. When I first got to the plant," she remembers, "the senior vice president, Bryan Hanson, a very personable individual, walked up to me and said, 'This is the project you're going to work on.' It was a new project and he believed I could mobilize the Clinton Power Station and bring in channeled fuel. It was the first of its kind in the industry. I worked with my supervisor Mark Vandermyde, along with different departments at Exelon and a variety of vendors. We put together and executed the project perfectly. Today, that's the model being used across the nuclear industry."
Exelon Generation has one of the industry’s largest portfolios of electricity generation capacity, with a nationwide reach and strong positions in the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. It is the largest owner/operator of nuclear plants in the United States. Exelon delivers electricity to approximately 5.4 million customers in northern Illinois via ComEd and southeastern Pennsylvania via PECO, as well as natural gas to approximately 490,000 customers in the Philadelphia area via PECO. Exelon is headquartered in Chicago. The Exelon family of companies includes Exelon Generation, Exelon Transmission Company, ComEd, and PECO that share a corporate services and support unit, Exelon Business Services Company. Each company has a unique dynamic, offering growth opportunities and a corporate culture that fits a variety of personalities and lifestyles. For more information about careers visit www.exelon.com.

Center For Applied Research
Up-and-coming engineer Courtney Fisk is an engineer program manager at the University of Kentucky's Center for Applied Energy Research. Fisk, who has done a fair amount of research in the biofuels group—biofuels or biodiesels is biodegradable and non-toxic. They are made from vegetable oils, waste cooking oils, animal fats, or tall oil—was recently named the program manager for the construction of the new laboratory building funded primarily by the National Institute for Standards and Technologies. NIST is a federal agency that awarded the university the money to construct the building, which is the University of Kentucky’s first LEED-certified laboratory.
"My daily activities at this point are serving as the program manager for the new laboratory building we're constructing," confirms Fisk, who did research for her master's degree at the center. According to Fisk, the center needed someone who could work hand-in-hand not only with the construction manager, but also the capital projects management division, which is part of the university, as well as the researchers.
Fisk acts as a liaison between the scientists and the design team. "My days are spent working with the consultants, which includes our architects Murphy + Graves and engineers CMTA Consulting Engineers, and our construction management team Turner/Finch,” she notes. “The most challenging aspect of the job is maintaining budgets and reporting requirements. Trying to work everybody's requests into this building or any project and making sure we stay online with our budget and anticipated costs is a challenge. It's also rewarding to see the building come to fruition. I enjoy coming to work every day and seeing the progress being made, knowing in six months we'll have another 43,000-square-foot laboratory building that we can utilize for renewable research, plus expand research we're already doing. The new facility will make a difference not only to the university but to the state."
Fisk earned both bachelor's and master's degrees in biosystems and agricultural engineering at the University of Kentucky, where she now studies for her MBA. "I chose to study biosystems and agriculture because I liked the mix of science and math and I wanted to work in an area that was up-and-coming," explains Fisk, who began bioprocessing in school and worked with one of her professors, Dr. Czarena Crofcheck, both as an undergraduate and graduate student.
"The biosystems and agricultural engineering department offers six areas to choose from, so I felt like I had some breathing room during my undergraduate work," continues Fisk. "I took biology and chemistry classes, as well as civil, electrical, and mechanical engineering courses. When I was recruited into the program, one of the selling points was I would become a fairly well-rounded engineer because I wasn't focusing on one discipline; I was learning all the disciplines."
The need for energy, according to Fisk, will always be here, which is why it's an exciting industry for students to consider as a career. Fisk believes the energy job market is pretty wide open, especially in the renewable energies research arena. "There's a lot of research to be done, and it's exciting to know that the research we do today can have a great impact on future lives," she remarks.
Fisk advises undergraduates to speak with their professors and work with them to figure out what they might want to do in the future. "A close relationship with professors is an ideal way to make sure you're successful in the future. I know my work as an undergraduate helped me to narrow the field to determine what I wanted to do once I graduated. I don't know if I would've been able to make that choice so quickly without having that background," admits Fisk.
Though she's reached her first five-year plan to become an engineer program manager, Fisk does not yet have one for the next five years beyond finishing her MBA this year. The university has an employee education program that she's taken advantage of in the past. "Once the building is complete I'll move on to manage another grant project. In the future, I want to continue managing different projects and learning as I go along," says Fisk. "I'm quite happy where I am now, as I just started the position of program manager. The university is a great place to work. There are great people here; we all enjoy what we do; and we get along well. I’ve enjoyed my time at CAER and look forward to continuing in the future."
The University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research is a university-energy research facility, focusing primarily on fossil and renewable energy research. For more information visit www.caer.uky.edu. The biofuels and environmental catalysis group is focused on two principal objectives: to reduce the environmental impacts of fuel use and to develop renewable fuel sources.
The CASEnergy Coalition is a national grassroots coalition that promotes the economic and environmental benefits of nuclear energy as part of a green energy portfolio. Comprising more than 2,600 members across the business, environmental, academic, consumer, and labor communities, this industry-funded coalition is led by former Environment Protection Agency Administrator Christine Todd Whitman and co-founder and former leader of Greenpeace, Dr. Patrick Moore.