UIndy put together a multi-disciplinary team, led by Dr. Levi Mielke an Assistant Professor of Chemistry, to identify water efficiency improvements at the Perry K Steam Plant in Fall of 2017. The team consisted of students with majors ranging from environmental sustainability to information systems to criminal justice to biology to chemistry to accounting to supply chain.
One student focused on automating a reporting spreadsheet resulting in a decrease in report preparation time from two hours to two minutes. Others evaluated a Department of Energy model to assist with being efficient with water use and consumption.
Another student identified opportunities to automate laboratory tests with online analyzers while a group evaluated the cost and benefit of installing a hydroturbine.
Everyone involved enjoyed working on a project that could impact their families. They noted learning it takes time to implement a complex project, which is more than math and numbers, and ways to work on a cross-functional team while practicing effective time management.