Team from Montana Tech Visits Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories

This past weekend, Montana Technological University and the Montana Tech Foundation visited Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories in Pullman, WA. The team from Montana Tech included Bryce Hill, electrical engineering associate professor and department head; Jaime Heppler, Montana Tech Foundation CEO; Brian Smyth, Montana Tech adjunct faculty member and SEL senior engineer; and eight Montana Tech IEEE club members.

The team met with senior leaders from SEL to discuss job and internship opportunities and future partnerships with senior design projects. The trip showcased SEL's impact on the energy industry. It was an opportunity to visit with alumni who work at SEL in the Pullman, WA headquarters and Moscow, Idaho manufacturing facilities. The students visited the PCB Factory, Innovation Lab, and attended an alumni lunch and dinner hosted by newly appointed Lance Endowed Energy Chair Bob Morris and his wife, Karen.

“Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories has a long-standing and successful relationship with Montana Tech and our electrical engineering department,” said Jaime Heppler, CEO of the Montana Tech Foundation. "I am looking forward to broadening our partnership with our computer science department in the near future. The visit highlighted the tremendous global impact SEL has on grid stability and beyond!”

Bryan Smyth added, “This past week, Schweitzer Engineering Labs (SEL) had the pleasure of hosting students and faculty from the electrical engineering department of Montana Tech. During the visit, the students could see the attention to detail, dignity of work, and sense of pride that SEL employees embody in their careers and facilities. SEL employees encompass these values because we serve a critical part of the industry, and they understand the need to produce high-quality products. The history of the partnership between SEL and Montana Tech is deeply rooted, as many alumni are currently employed at SEL. Additionally, SEL has taught courses on Montana Tech’s campus since 2014 and helped construct two new power labs in 2018. SEL has also supported senior design projects and internships and assisted Montana Tech by participating on their Industry Advisory Board (IAB) to help guide the program based on industry needs. This level of involvement has allowed SEL to engage students early on in their careers and start building those relationships. SEL has partnered with Montana Tech because they share many of the same values as SEL, such as the quality of products they produce, which is students. SEL is continuously looking for hard-working, talented individuals who share our values and mission of Making Electric Power Safer, More Reliable, and More Economical, and there is no better place to look than Montana Tech.”