Mark Nunley is a principal engineer at AVN Corp. For World Engineering Day this Saturday, March 4th we wanted to get to know him a little better and to ask him a few questions about his career path.
Here’s what he had to say:
- What made you want to become an engineer?
I like to fix problems and build or create stuff..
I wanted a good paying job where I could use creativity in solving problems and engineering gives me that platform..
- What is one of the best, most rewarding parts of your job?
When companies dream of new processes for their own vision of the future they come to AVN Corp. to help work out the details. I get to work with these companies to help them make those dreams come true. So, I see myself on the front line in creating the future of the chemical industry.
- What makes the type of projects AVN Corp.’s team of engineers works on different from other companies?
We typically work on projects that solve problems that have never been solved before or solve problems differently than has been done before.
We develop and test solutions at the most basic level to understand what is most important as we work up in scale and complexity to develop the process. We work on the hard stuff first and we make sure it works safely.
- What is one of the most memorable projects you’ve worked on during your career?
Its hard to name just one. I have had the opportunity to work with amazing people on some of the most relevant problems of our time. The people I work with and get to learn from are quite literally the “best of the best” and focus on creating a better future through green chemistry principles such as renewable chemicals, energy conservation, and CO2 reductions. – which makes for great memories.
One of my most memorable projects was working with a group of scientists in the development of a new technology from its earliest concepts. We were helping a company “create the future” just like this year’s theme.
The project created a new technology to make one of the worlds largest commodity chemicals in a safer, more sustainable, and carbon friendly way.
- What advice would you give to someone who aspires to work in the field of engineering?
Do not shy away from challenging classes because the more you know the better.
Don’t be afraid to fail because failures often teach us more than our successes do.
- Share one thing about yourself that we otherwise wouldn’t know or suspect.
I am a chemical engineer, but my favorite science topic is not chemistry.
– For additional information, contact questions@AVNcorp.com
