Greetings AMIC!
During our hybrid AMIC Fall Seminar this Wednesday, Peter Vodak and Bruce Krakauer from A. O. Smith Corporate Technology Center (CTC) in Milwaukee presented the company’s history, products, engineering case studies, and career opportunities. AO Smith was established in 1874, now having 30 locations worldwide and headquartered in Milwaukee, WI, with main products including water heaters, boilers, and water treatment products. A.O. Smith Corporate is a long-term UW AMIC member.
Specifically, Peter and Bruce shared two typical projects in a plastics R&D environment at A. O. Smith: 1) Cost reduction and 2) plastic materials troubleshooting. Our students also learned from Peter that this type of job provides a lot of freedom to determine your projects but is focused on the practical, and it is important to continue to learn throughout one’s career.
Thirty-seven people, including Dean Ian Robertson, attended this engaging event. Afterward, several faculty members discussed with Bruce and Peter about graduate student hiring and internships, undergraduate Co-op opportunities, research collaboration, and how UW College of Engineering and A.O. Smith Corporate can support each other’s missions.
We thank the Materials Research Science and Engineering Center for sponsoring this inaugural seminar series and our AMIC community members who contributed. Please visit our event calendar for an updated schedule, and we hope to see you next Wednesday!