Geneva Water Quality Engineering Students Attend "Filtration University"

Geneva College students in Environmental Engineering 240 matriculated to "Filtration University" at Xylem Leopold Hydraulic Lab in Zelienople, PA last month for a lesson in state-of-the-art water treatment. Led by Dr. Mark Kennedy, Professor of Engineering, nine students witnessed working models of the filtration, filter backwash and sludge collecting devices that Leopold develops in their Zelienople plant and that are put to use in public works all over the world.

Classroom learning tranformed into real-world applications for the students during their field trip on November 9. “It was a really great experience and it was interesting to see what I could possibly be doing for a career after I graduate,” says Jericho Hilling, one of the environmental engineering majors in the Water Quality Engineering class.

Established in 1924, Xylem's Leopold brand has long been a worldwide leader in the water and wastewater treatment industry supplying both filtration and clarification systems, according to their website. Leopold both designs and supplies systems for gravity filtration, clarification, denitrification, sludge collection and backwash water recovery. Geneva students appreciated the opportunity to observe the operations of a worldwide water quality engineering leader as part of their rigorous curriculum. To learn more about Geneva's Engineering program, which is ranked in the top 100 in the country by U.S. News & World Report for 2017, visit http://www.geneva.edu/academics/majors/engineering or for more detail on the BSE in Environmental Engineering, visit http://www.geneva.edu/academics/majors/egr_environmental.  

Water treatment and water quality are important topics and are well represented in the Engineering Department's Capstone projects. The Capstone projects are completed each year by senior engineers as they put their newly learned skills to the test in nationwide competition. This year, the Capstone projects include a rainwater collection and treatment system and a water disinfection project. Other Capstone projects are a Baja SAE all-terrain vehicle and Solar Splash, a solar-powered speed boat. The cost of materials and the competition are funded by donations from alumni and friends of the Engineering Department. Year-end giving to Engineering Capstone projects is welcome at https://community.geneva.edu/engineering.   

Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 40 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and classroom options, and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Five Best Value with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today’s world.