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Chemical engineering graduate David Wahl ’07 works as a generation engineer for PSE&G (Public Service Enterprise Group), a gas and electric utility company in New Jersey. It is the state’s oldest and largest publicly owned utility. He is working in the fossil power division in a rotational program.
David is living on his own in Burlington, N.J., where he commutes to his job daily.
“I spent my first year working at a coal plant in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Just last week I moved to a New Jersey location, closer to my hometown as well as Philadelphia and the Jersey shore,” David says. “Living on my own has been interesting. The solitude it affords is sometimes a blessing and sometimes a detriment. Now that I am back in an area where I have many social connections in various geographical directions, I am excited about the year ahead.”
As for David’s future plans, he is unsure of where PSE&G will take him, but seems eager to be a part of such a promising company.
“I loved being in the plant during my first year with PSE&G. My ‘office’ was a giant playground full of motors, pumps, conveyors, and a furnace the size of Acopian [Engineering Center] flipped on its side,” he says. “I hope to continue doing this type of work: defining the scope of projects, working with vendors to obtain competitive offers, and then managing in-house and contract work crews as we work to safely and efficiently complete the job.”
Although it seems David is thrilled with all aspects of his new career, he admits that there are times when work can be not only stressful, but time-consuming as well.
“The most challenging aspect of my career thus far has been a result of me being a chemical engineer in a field dominated by mechanical and electrical engineering problems. I have to use more interpersonal skills than engineering skills to get projects done,” he says.
David believes that Lafayette and its small-school environment helped prepare him for his job.
“The atmosphere at Lafayette has definitely helped me in my career. Working with people in the company who have many more years of experience than me is not that much different from interacting with the professors at Lafayette, who are very accessible relative to other schools,” he says.
David says he appreciates the valuable education he received at Lafayette and the benefits of studying engineering at a liberal arts school, which has equipped him not just for a career, but for life after college.