UNLV ASME and CO2 Monitoring: A Collaborative Event for Future Innovators

The UNLV American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) chapter recently collaborated with CO2 Monitoring, LLC to host an insightful event that provided students with an opportunity to understand the role of ASME standards in the CO2 monitoring industry through unfired boilers, CO2 bulk tanks and CO2 pressure measurement devices.

As a key part of the ASME organization, the UNLV chapter plays a vital role in bridging the gap between classroom knowledge and real-world engineering practices, fostering innovation, professional growth, and valuable industry connections for aspiring engineers.

ASME’s Impact on CO2 Technology and Industry Safety Standards

The event explored the significance of ASME standards and regulations in the gas technology industry. Longley discussed how Section VIII ensures the safety, quality, and efficiency of pressure vessels, such as CO2 bulk tanks.

Students learned how ASME’s involvement in setting standards helps ensure that products like CO2 tank measurement tools meet industry requirements, guaranteeing their reliability across various sectors, from residential and healthcare to industrial applications.

This conversation underscored how essential ASME practices are in the development of safe and innovative technologies.

Ronald Longley: Empowering Students with Internship Opportunities

Ronald Longley, President of CO2 Monitoring, LLC, highlighted the company's commitment to innovation and its initiative to provide internship opportunities for students. Longley discussed how these internships offer students the chance to work on cutting-edge technology, while CO2 Monitoring, LLC, benefits from nurturing future talent. He emphasized that these internships are designed to be mutually beneficial, with the hope that many students would eventually transition into full-time roles at the company.

IEEE Interns Share Their Experiences

In addition to Longley’s presentation, the event highlighted current R&D engineering interns, Katie Whalon and Giovanni “Gio” DiLisio. Katie, the UNLV IEEE President, is in her final year studying electrical engineering. Gio, also in his last year of electrical engineering at UNLV, is an active member of UNLV IEEE. Both shared valuable insights and personal experiences from their roles at the company.

Their firsthand accounts gave students a clear understanding of what to expect from internships, including project scopes and managing work-life-school balance. They also offered valuable advice on navigating challenges and maximizing learning opportunities in a professional environment.

Interview with Miguel Torres, UNLV ASME President

We interviewed Miguel Torres, President of the UNLV ASME organization and a junior majoring in mechanical engineering at UNLV, to hear about his experience leading the organization and how it has shaped his professional journey.

Miguel discussed the challenges and opportunities he has encountered in his leadership role and how the organization works to support students in preparing for careers in engineering.

What inspired you to get involved with ASME, and how has it shaped your career and understanding of industry practices?

Going into college I knew that I wanted to get involved with student organizations. Being in mechanical engineering, I wanted something that focused on my interests and discipline, so when I found information for an ASME meeting I naturally attended. Though I discovered a small club with few activities and members, I saw potential for the club to grow. I’ve since worked with my officers to aid students professionally as well as educationally through a variety of activities and experiences.

From my experiences in the club, I’ve gained a perception of engineering that is different than that taught in classes. Various activities, from touring facilities to listening to keynote speakers and even participating in conferences and competitions, have allowed me to not only view the engineering world from a wider lens, but actually interact and engage with it, actively taking part in it as opposed to simply learning and observing. I’ve seen the various ways in which engineering is applied in the real world, heard stories from those actually in industry of what the jobs entail, and took part in projects that put the engineering design process into use.

How does ASME help students bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world engineering challenges?

ASME provides students with opportunities to learn engineering skills either not  taught in classes at all or taught with limited exposure. We start our skill workshops from the ground up to allow any and everyone to participate and we relay concepts taught in classes back into the subjects we teach. Alongside this, we give students exposure to real-world engineering problems when we tour facilities, as the guides will inform us on the issues they face on a day-to-day basis, as well as how they are resolved.

In the coming semesters, we will also be introducing competition projects for students to take part in in order for them to gain experience in engineering design and stretch their brains to solve a given objective with a solution that is both efficient and creative, and these projects will also allow them to gain experience in creating something rather than just ideating based on theory.

What has the UNLV ASME chapter done to connect students with industry standards and keep them informed on emerging trends?

ASME gives students resources to stay up to date with all the latest happenings in  various engineering fields, from magazines to webinars and even access to newsletters. Though not required for our club, members who register under ASME’s national membership are able to choose up to five “technical divisions”, or subsects within mechanical engineering, that they are interested in. From there, they are able to view a number of resources and news outlets relating to those technical divisions. Alongside the resources provided by ASME internationally, our student section works to connect our students not only with other students at UNLV or other universities, but also to professionals in industry.

We aim to expose our students to the various fields within engineering to allow them to explore and find which specific fields interest them. These experiences also show students the standards and trends seen amongst various fields, from the types of tools used in industry today to how each field introduces a level of safety and redundancy within their systems.

What’s the most valuable way ASME prepares students for careers in engineering and new technologies like CO2 monitors?

By providing opportunities for our members to gain exposure to the modern technological tools and skills used widely in engineering, we allow our students to familiarize themselves with what is often seen as the most daunting barrier to entry in engineering. From our introductory workshops, students are able to gain a base level understanding of how to program, use microcontrollers, utilize CAD software, and more. From this base level, we also work to provide support for members who may want to incorporate their new skills into projects. We also work to ensure that our members not only gain technical experience, but professional experience as well, showing them how to write resumes, make and maintain LinkedIn profiles, network with others, and work in teams. Our activities are all set to help develop both the hard and soft skills required to be a competent engineer.

How can ASME collaborations with companies like CO2 Monitoring benefit students and the industry?

Collaborating with industry partners not only allows ASME to broaden the scope of our events, but also introduces professionals into activities, cutting out the middle man in some sense and allowing members to learn from those who actually do these activities for a living. These collaborations also provide context for students who may not know what actually working in an engineering environment is like, as the classroom setting is very different than the workplace. 

By familiarizing students with how engineering is in industry, as well as showing students valuable skills and lessons through the collaborative activities we host, our students then become more prepared to go into industry after graduation. These collaborative activities, then, not only go on to impact student organizations like ourselves but also impact industry, as these students are the same people that will become the workforce in the future and preparing them while they are still in school will allow them to jump into their future jobs with confidence, initiative, and passion