Real-world challenges

Working more than 2,300 miles from her college campus in Oxford, Ohio, 22-year old Gillian Sayegh had a chance to show her talents in real-world situations. Gillian spent her summer with a papermaking customer of Ashland Water Technologies. When a foreign substance was 
discovered on a critical piece of equipment that resulted in the unexpected shutdown of the paper mill, dozens of concerned operators anxiously awaited her team’s solution so operations could resume.

“We were running a number of tests to see what would dissolve the substance,” says Gillian. 

“Needless to say, we felt the urgency to discover what the substance was and how to fix it and keep our customer happy.” With the help of her Ashland mentor, the substance was identified, a solution was recommended and production resumed. 

“I had a direct impact on Ashland’s ability to help a customer.”

Growth opportunities

Excited to combine his outgoing personality with his technical savvy, computer information systems senior Alex Blythe uses his knowledge and skills while working directly with some of Ashland’s biggest customers. As part of the Enterprise Optimization group in Lexington, Ky., Alex manages electronic purchasing and digital invoicing data.

Ongoing development

Chemical and biological engineering junior Lonna Gordon was surprised by all the activity at the Ashland Research Center in Wilmington, Del. “I discovered the lab to be in a constant state of ongoing development, with new projects arising constantly. I was welcomed by the team and assigned to exciting projects. I truly gained a more complete idea of what industry research encompasses,” Lonna recalls.

“Oh, and I get my own office,” she adds. “How cool is that?”