Matthew Simcoe

Background

About Matthew Simcoe

My name is Matthew Simcoe, I attended Allentown Central Catholic High school for my entire high school career and Moravian University for my entire college career. I was first introduced to physics and engineering through Central Catholic’s classes offered in collaboration with Project Lead the Way (PLTW) through which I also realized a personal passion for mathematics and engineering. This passion carried me to seek a degree in physics, as I had many questions about how the world works at its most basic level and decided to seek those answers myself. Mechanical Engineering is not only a suitable conduit for the knowledge I have gained through my degree in Physics but is also my main interest through which I can help people and solve problems using what I have and have yet to learn. My college career has enlightened me to opportunities to continue my education in graduate school where I hope to learn and garner more information about not only advanced physics, but specifically robotics technologies, fluid dynamics and other thermodynamic concepts as well as help collaborate with other students and faculty of my same academic interests and passions on projects and research. Due to my interest in fluid dynamics and thermodynamics it is suiting that my first steps into a professional career began in June of 2021 when I accepted a position as an intern at Hummel Station, a 1100- Megawatt, combined cycle natural gas power plant here in Selinsgrove. Through my first three months there, I developed my professional skills through leading daily coordination meetings, reading Piping and Instrumentation diagrams, working with the senior engineer on Environmental reporting as well as working closely with operations on water testing and other maintenance procedures. The next summer, I was asked by the general manager, the Hummel Station General Manager to work again as an Intern and was given a project to lead working on plant pipe and valve labelling, teaching me not only more intimately about critical and nominal plant processes, but also gave me crucial skills in project management and proper project documentation. Witnessing and engaging with these engineering projects and responsibilities served only to harden my desire to pursue an engineering career as well as giving me an opportunity to use the skills I have gained in my college classrooms