With a curriculum geared toward application and hands-on experience, I was able to take several labs that gave me experience with things I will be exposed to in industry. Design Thinking in Technology and my senior capstone project incorporated real-life problem-solving applications, and team projects gave me the necessary communication and collaboration needed to thrive!
Samuel D. Laird
Mechanical Engineering Technology ‘22
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Samuel D. Laird

Mechanical Engineering Technology ‘22
Full-Time Engineer for Cargill

What are your job duties?
During my contract period I will perform reliability work on company assets such as motors. I also will work on continuous improvement projects around the plant to improve operation and production, some of which will require contractor supervision.

Who would you like to thank as you finish your time at Purdue and start your career?
Lindsay Haugland – Thank you for all that you do. I wouldn’t be graduating if it weren’t for the help, guidance, and push you gave me. You not only gave me encouragement when I was taking difficult classes, but you also opened the door for me to explore minors and the entrepreneurship certificate which I plan to receive at graduation.

Ralph Munguia – Thank you for your hard work and dedication to students as they work on creating their capstone. Not only did you offer the team insightful ideas, but you also remained professional at all times even when the ideas were disregarded.

Mitch Commons – Has to be hand- down the best team member ever! I don’t know what it was, but we had a lot of classes, labs, and projects together these past two years of my college career. You made the classroom way more enjoyable just because you were a friendly face that I worked really well with. 

Please tell us about a favorite class, project, experience or professor.
I would have to say the most enjoyable class I have taken happened to be MET 31700 Machine Diagnostics which is a class that focuses on the basics of plant reliability, data analysis and instrumentation found in modern processes and manufacturing plants. Not only was the content super interesting, but Dale Nicholson had to have been one of if not the best professor I have had while at Purdue. The lab for this course was also very beneficial; I was able to utilize reliability equipment and run diagnostics on equipment in the mechanic room under Knoy and we even had a field trip to Kirby Risk which is a local motor repair shop.