Making Facility Upgrades Happen.

SolAero offered a practical intersection between my background coordinating construction and my interest in building aerospace hardware.

As a project-management intern, I supported facility renovations and equipment integration associated with CHIPS Act manufacturing upgrades. The work required understanding production needs and translating them into designs, schedules, contractor instructions, and coordinated decisions.

My contributions included custom containment equipment, Simulink analysis, construction packages, layout updates, project scheduling, and communication between internal teams and external partners.

Two focus areas were chemical abatement and germanium reclaim. Both connected the manufacturing process with the facility infrastructure needed to operate it.

Understand the process before coordinating the upgrade

Facility tours and self-directed learning helped me understand semiconductor manufacturing. That context made it easier to connect equipment requirements with installation constraints and the needs of the people operating the system.

I also contributed to ROI models and logistics analysis. The presentation identifies recovery value and cost savings as goals, but does not provide a verified realized-savings total.

I designed leakage trays for new equipment and coordinated with external contractors to have them fabricated. The task linked CAD, equipment interfaces, material selection, pricing, and installation.

The drawing documents the tray geometry and sheet-metal construction. The installed photograph connects that design work to the equipment it supports.

I developed a Simulink analysis of physical sludge accumulation associated with the new abatement system. The showcase presents this as a way to demonstrate the effect of the process change on workers and equipment operation.

The block diagram and response plot show the analysis included in the presentation. The slides do not supply the full model, parameter definitions, or a quantitative validation record, so this page describes its purpose without inventing a measured reduction in workload or maintenance.

This work expanded the internship beyond scheduling: I was using engineering analysis to help communicate the implications of a manufacturing-system change.

Construction packages

I created detailed construction packages to illustrate the work required from contractors. Annotated drawings connected the installation scope with equipment locations and practical site constraints.

Equipment layouts

I continuously updated equipment layouts and shared information with stakeholders to identify potential collisions and installation conflicts during design.

On-site coordination

My work also included contractor coordination, site tours, and hands-on project assistance. These activities connected the documents to the actual sequence of work and helped surface questions between teams.

I developed a comprehensive timeline covering facility modifications and equipment installations. The schedule supported coordination of the work needed before equipment could be installed and used.

Growing responsibility

The showcase traces my progression from orientation and process learning to independent meeting participation, cross-team communication, analysis, installation design, and daily contractor coordination.

The timeline was intended to support on-time and on-budget execution. The presentation does not establish final completion or budget performance for the full facility program.

Trial-system implementation

My showcase records the installation and commissioning of trial abatement units as an internship milestone. That represents progress on the pilot equipment, rather than a claim that every facility upgrade was completed during my internship.

SOLIDWORKS certification

Through company training, I earned the SOLIDWORKS Associate and Professional certifications in one week. These complemented the CAD work I was applying to equipment installation needs.

Connections beyond the project

Coworkers also made time for informal design reviews of my school’s rocket. These conversations connected my internship experience with the engineering and leadership work I was preparing to take back to Rowan.

Living and learning in New Mexico

The summer gave me a chance to live in a new part of the country, explore New Mexico, visit aerospace sites, and earn my high-power rocketry Level 1 certification.

The complete 16-slide presentation covers my role, the facility context, technical contributions, project partners, timeline, and professional and personal milestones.

Every slide is included below with its original markings. Select an image for a larger view or use its slide link to open the PDF at that page.