American Crystal Sugar Company is proud to make a donation to the Chemical Engineering Department at the University of North Dakota in the amount of $6,000 to support UND’s chemical engineering senior design capstone program. ACSC is also sponsoring one group of 3-4 students who will complete a number of deliverables to support an evaluation of the technical and economic feasibility of adding a municipal solid waste-fueled (MSW) waste-to-energy (WTE) facility at one of the ACSC facilities in order to reduce that facility’s carbon footprint. Similar MSW WTE facilities exist just outside the Red River Valley in Fosston, Perham, and Alexandria. ACSC engineers will help mentor the student group as they develop the preliminary design and economics of the new facility. The student team will also pitch their idea to ACSC business development and plant personnel.
The University of North Dakota has long been a destination for big picture-minded regional HS students, looking to gain insights into the Engineering field. ACSC is a proud sponsor of UND’s engineering programs which have long provided engineers to the company, mutually benefitting both parties.
American Crystal Sugar Company has mission statements including:
- Maximize the long-term prosperity of our family farms and communities
- Foster a workplace culture that attracts, develops and retains outstanding employees
- Embrace Innovation and continuous improvement in all aspects of our business
ACSC sees outside-the-box thinking as a necessity in their employees and an essential ability in future engineers. “Partnering with the UND ChE department for this study is a natural win-win. It allows us to support the University while at the same time encouraging the sort of thinking that we see as necessary to facilitate our vision of becoming the best beet sugar company in the world,” quote from Ryan Wall, Crookston American Crystal Sugar Company Factory Manager.
“Sponsored projects provide a more real-world experience for our student groups”, said Professor Wayne Seames, the UND course instructor. “Anytime we can prepare students while also helping one of our regional partners represents a win-win for all concerned. We are deeply appreciative of ACSC for their frequent sponsorship of UND engineering design projects and for hiring so many UND graduates.”
Photo: From L-R: Senior ChE students Charlie Lien and Lindsay Molina assist Robin Turner, UND Alumni Foundation Director of Development in accepting the donation from Tammy Moe, Factory Cost Accountant, and Keaton Hanevold, Engineering Superintendent, BSChE 2016. Course instructor Wayne Seames stands next to Mr. Hanevold.
