Service Learning and Internship/Shadowing (4 hours)

On June 5th through June 10th, I attended a summer program at the University of Texas
at Austin called My Introduction to Engineering, or MITE. At MITE, I was introduced to each
engineering major offered at their Cockrell School of Engineering. On the third day, June 7th, the
Chemical Engineering students visited the MITE attendees. Because Chemical Engineering is
one of the most popular majors at the University of Texas, the students visited us frequently to
give their input on our end-of-program presentation and project. This time, the high school
attendees split into groups to tour the chemistry laboratories that the Chemical Engineering and
Environmental Engineering students used on a daily basis for research. In the chemistry
laboratory, there was a mechanism used in carbon capturing and storage where the carbon
monoxide extracted from carbon emissions are reacted with oxygen. Carbon dioxide is created so
that it can be transported underground and stored safely. At the time, I was unaware that the
machine was used in the synthesis gas process. However, after talking to my mentor and learning
more about the how synthesis gas is created, I realized that the impurities extracted from carbon
emissions do not include only carbon dioxide but carbon monoxide as well. Witnessing the
process up-close and being able to physically handle the machine was fascinating even before I
knew the value of the machine. After knowing of the major component that carbon capturing and
storage holds in the process of purifying atmospheric air for synthesis gas, I have a newfound
appreciation for the developers and researchers at the University of Texas who handle the
machine every day.