Twelve students from across Queensland will swap their school uniforms for labcoats and steel capped boots when they converge on Mackay from July 7 to 11 for the inaugural QUT/QMEA Chemical Process Engineering Challenge.
The Year 11 and 12 students from Mackay, Rockhampton, Townsville, Moura and Ipswich will work alongside engineers, research scientists and university mentors at the QUT Mackay Renewable Biocommodities Pilot Plant.
The QUT Pilot Plant converts cellulosic biomass into renewable transport fuels (bioethanol) and high value biocommodities in an integrated biorefinery. It is hosted by Mackay Sugar Limited and is part of QUT's Centre for Tropical Crops and Biocommodities.
The challenge students come from schools that are linked to the Queensland Minerals and Energy Academy (QMEA) - a virtual academy involving 34 Queensland schools and 12 industry sponsors that assists students with their understanding of, and exposure to, the resources sector and related career paths.
At the QUT/QMEA Chemical Process Engineering Challenge, these budding engineers will be tasked with investigating various biochemical processes at the plant, before designing and carrying out laboratory experiments to create biofuels.
Students will present their research and experimental results to senior management, QUT experts and industry representatives at the end of the week.
One of the QUT staff members at the event will be the university's STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) teacher-in-residence Anne Brant.
"The hands-on nature of the tasks and the interaction with staff at the site provides an invaluable learning platform for students wishing to pursue chemical and process engineering careers," she said.
"The challenge is the ultimate work experience and it's something special to say you've conducted research in an industrial laboratory on real plant projects before beginning a university course.
"It will be a 'sweet' experience! Not only will it will give students a better understanding of the biofuels industry, it will provide them with a suite of new skills from the laboratory experiments and the opportunity to make important contacts at the plant and QUT."
The schools involved in the Mackay challenge are:
- Kirwan State High School (Townsville)
- Mackay North State High School
- West Moreton Anglican College (Ipswich)
- Moura State High School
- North Rockhampton State High School
- Whitsunday Anglican College (Mackay)
- St. Patrick's College (Mackay)
- Mercy College (Mackay)
On Thursday, July 10, a special group of QUT visitors will also arrive in Mackay to meet the students and hear their presentations. They will include: the executive director of QUT's Institute for Future Environments (IFE), Professor Ian Mackinnon; IFE general manager Jim Reeves; the head of QUT's School of Chemistry, Physics and Mechancical Engineering, Professor John Bell; and bioenergy principal research scientist Associate Professor Ian O'Hara. The acting director of QMEA, Katrina Lee-Jones, will also attend the challenge dinner on Thursday evening.
For information on QUT courses such as the Bachelor of Engineering (Process Engineering) and Bachelor of Science (Chemistry), visit www.qut.edu.au and/or visit the QUT Open Day on July 27 (Gardens Point campus, 9am to 3pm, www.qut.edu.au/openday).
Media contacts:
- Mechelle McMahon, QUT media officer, media@qut.edu.au
- Anne Brant, QUT STEM teacher-in-residence, anne.brant@qut.edu.au
