News

Section Menu

Search

Civil Engineering major Abbey Hill ’20 interns with NW Natural

Engineering

April 8, 2019

As a participant in the Civil Engineering Cooperative Program (CECOP), Abbey Hill ’20 spent the last six months at NW Natural supporting the management of two construction projects. 

“During my internship, I tracked the daily progress of the projects and went on site visits. I also created new systems to better document NW Natural’s purchasing and use of materials with their standards and procedures committees. I also learned how engineering principles and calculations are translated into instructions and how these instructions are implemented during construction,” Hill said. “This internship experience helped me learn and grow as a young professional.”

NW Natural transmission engineer Andrea Kuehnel was Hill’s mentor. “Abbey’s knowledge of the natural gas industry and understanding for the larger utility industry will be helpful as she pursues her career,” Kuehnel said. “She advanced her technical research, professional communications, and technical writing skills over the course of the internship.”

“This internship program piqued my interest because it seemed like a great way to gain extended experience and learn more about the industry,” Hill said. “I get to test out different professional environments and see where I would want to work.”

Next year, Hill will complete a second six-month internship, most likely in the private sector, through CECOP. After graduation, Hill plans to get her master’s degree and is interested in studying either waste water treatment or energy efficiency in the built environment.