Over the course of three days in February, 123 freshmen from Purdue Polytechnic High School learned about Citizens Energy Group and its natural gas operations through Citizens’ Partnership for Excellence in Research and Learning (PERL) program.
Gas Engineer Casey O’Gara set the stage by visiting Purdue Polytechnic on February 19 and giving the students an overview of the Trust’s historical background and its current operations.
On both February 20 and 21, groups of students started off their visits to Langsdale by attending Gas 101 with Director of Energy Distribution Engineering Mike Sullivan. There, they learned the basics of natural gas, piping materials and the Citizens distribution system.
The students then made rounds to three stations to get a more in-depth picture of system operations. They took a tour of gas control with Gas Controller Zac Rohrer and Gas Control Specialist Stanley Boots; toured a gas regulating station with Gas Engineer Dan Decker; and received a track and traceability (barcoding and GPS of underground assets) demonstration from Gas Engineer/GIS Analyst Brittany Meunier.
Technical Specialist Stephanie Tuvell and Manager Energy Distribution Design Richard Calvert also participated in the event, serving as team leads and escorting the groups from station to station, along with O’Gara.
Engineering Manager Becky Schaefer, who also serves as the PERL program coordinator, said, “The PERL program has a strong working relationship with Purdue Polytechnic High School, and we were so happy to welcome freshmen to Langsdale to learn more about our natural gas operations. Thank you to all of the Citizens employees who gave their time to make this experience possible!”
