RIT and Dresser Rand Create Unique Research Partnership

As part of a unique outreach program designed to enhance understanding of job opportunities in industry, nearly 120 mechanical engineering students from Rochester Institute of Technology recently spent the day interacting with engineers, designers and managers at Dresser-Rand Operations in Olean, NY. The tour is part of the Dresser-Rand/RIT Campus Partnership Program, established to enhance technology development and recruit highly skilled alumni, new graduates and co-op students for employment opportunities at Dresser-Rand.

“We want to establish relationships with key educational institutions such as RIT that have strong engineering programs to leverage research, training and recruiting opportunities,” says Beth Powers, the company’s chief administrative officer. “Through these types of partnerships we improve our ability to recruit top engineering talent and increase access to cutting-edge research in the field.”

Through the Campus Partnership Program, Dresser-Rand is working to promote a greater understanding and interest in math and science in middle schools, high schools, vocational schools and colleges throughout the country. The company is also using engineering research capabilities for short-term business improvement projects and will next look to develop these types of technology transfer opportunities with RIT.

RIT’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering is among the nation’s top-ranked engineering colleges and is well known for its experiential learning efforts. All bachelor’s degree programs are five years in duration—four years of academic study and 15 months of paid cooperative-education work experience. Students are also required to complete a design project in their field during their senior year. Many of these designs are ultimately utilized in faculty research or transferred for use in government or industry applications.