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As part of its annual Homecoming activities, Binghamton University honors alumni who have graduated within the past 10 years, have demonstrated a very high level of professional achievement since leaving campus, and have great potential. for future leadership.
Three of this year BOLD (Bearcats of the Last Decade) 10 Under 10 Award the winners are alumni of the Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Sciences. We asked them to tell us how Watson influenced their career path.
Devan Tracy ’13, who received her BS in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Sustainable Engineering from Binghamton University, is Associate Director Smart Buildings and Go Green for the Rotary and Mission Systems division of Lockheed Martin and a graduate of the Engineering Leadership Development Program from Lockheed. She is responsible for setting up data analysis software to perform fault detection and diagnosis, energy anomaly detection and predictive maintenance. Tracy is also responsible for the strategy, planning, execution and reporting of energy reduction activities to drive affordability and support the company’s sustainability initiatives. Under his leadership, $ 6.5 million in annual energy savings were achieved and the largest on-site solar photovoltaic system at Lockheed Martin was installed.
Tracy also holds a master’s degree in sustainable systems engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a Professional Engineer, Certified Energy Manager, Certified Energy and Environmental Design Leadership Professional, and Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. In 2018, she received the GreenBiz “30 Under 30” award and presented a TEDx talk on “Extinction of Sustainability” at Binghamton University.
How does it feel to receive an award like this?
It is an incredible honor – I am very touched. I am so happy to still be in touch with the Binghamton University community almost a decade after graduating.
How do you think your time at Watson prepared you for success?
My Watson experience has been a vital part of who I am today. Learning the basics of mechanical engineering taught me to make sense of the world around me from a technical point of view. The minor in sustainability engineering (one of the deciding factors I chose to study at Binghamton in the first place) inspired me to pursue a master’s degree and a career in this field.
I recently became responsible for a small team of facilities professionals to develop data analysis technology for Lockheed Martin’s large industrial plants including Owego and Syracuse. We use algorithms to detect anomalies in HVAC systems and find opportunities to save energy and conduct predictive maintenance activities.
Which class or professor Watson has changed the way you view your field of study?
The real applications of engineering theory impressed me the most throughout the Watson program.
For example, I remember Professor Roy McGrann’s classic mission where we were challenged to design a landing gear for an airplane. Late that night, I sprinted to the bathroom in the library basement, bursting into tears after trying for hours to come up with a functional design. To this day, I always choose the window seat of an airplane and appreciate the level of detail in many life technologies that we often take for granted.
I also clearly remember an independent study where I was able to monitor solar panels in the Engineering and Science building to compare actual power output to that in projections. A few years ago, I had the opportunity to capitalize on this experience and run a 4 MW solar installation at Lockheed Martin.
And finally, I will never forget our senior design project. We decided to collect the pulverized food waste from the mess rooms, to dry them (with a blocked nose), to compress them and to burn them in the boilers of the central heating plant with the wood chips. It really got me thinking about energy density and life cycle costs, two key topics that I now use in my work.
What are some of your favorite memories from your time in Binghamton?
I lived on campus for four years because I wanted to be involved and exposed to a variety of activities and communities. I see myself as a multidimensional person and have spent my free time balancing the intensity of the Watson program: playing drums in the Harpur Jazz Ensemble and the Binghamton University Percussion Ensemble, working for Binghamton Outdoor Pursuits, lobbying for bike racks on University buses, lobbying for a greenway to connect the campus to the city center, starting the University Self-Service Bike with my brother Shane (also a Watson alumnus) and participating in the running club. I had the opportunity to be a teaching assistant for the first year Watson classes, and I also did MIDI (music recording), African drums and yoga. As the saying goes: “Do what you love and do it often” because “life is not a dress rehearsal”.
What advice would you give current Watson students?
- Fill each of your summers with an internship. This will give you a huge head start to have industry experience before you graduate. Bonus: most engineering internships are paid!
- Take the Engineering Fundamentals exam before you graduate, then the Professional Engineering License as soon as you are eligible – you never know when you’ll need it! Maybe someday you want to start your own business.
- Don’t worry if you’re struggling to take certain classes – and don’t be afraid to ask for help, either during office hours or from your peers during a nightly workout at the library .
- Follow your passion. (If you’re not sure what your passion is, read “What Color Is Your Parachute?” For inspiration.)
- Find a mentor you can call on when you need to make an important decision or discuss your career aspirations.
- “If you think the adventure is dangerous, try the routine – it’s deadly.” Don’t settle for post-graduation comfort – continue to challenge yourself to grow up and be a student of life.
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