The newly named Westar Energy Lab at Wichita State University isn't the only way in which WSU and Westar Energy are connected.

Westar has become a desired destination for students wanting on-the-job training in the electrical engineering field. And it has become a place where an innovative spirit is encouraged among interns.

Since beginning his internship at Westar Energy in May, electrical engineering senior Nick Cox has already made an impact. Cox designed a System Impedance Calculator that turned a 35- to 40-minute process into something that now takes just three to five minutes, saving Westar time and money.

“The System Impedance Calculator was a previously existing system that was not fully functional to our expectations,” Cox says. “I added new functions with the system, which improved accuracy and efficiency. This is a tool our department uses daily.”

Cody Hastings, a 2013 Shocker alumnus, has also made his mark in the time he’s been at Westar. Hastings was a Westar intern for 2 1/2 years before graduating and being offered a full-time job as a field engineer with the company, which has employed 13 WSU interns in the past seven years.

Hastings recently created models of the underground electrical networks in downtown Wichita and Topeka, as well as of the distribution system throughout Westar’s territory. Both of the models have given Westar the ability to analyze their systems much more quickly. Hastings says his ability to perform these duties is directly related to the experience he got while still a student intern.

“It helped me to get a better understanding of the power utility industry and helped me to realize that this was an industry that I wanted to pursue a career in,” Hastings says. 

Improving the community

One of the main benefits of working at Westar, says senior electrical engineering major Jake Matt, is that interns aren’t just given administrative busy work. They have real duties and receive a well-rounded educational working experience.

“I have built such a great respect for Westar, because I have experienced firsthand that the interns are given the tools to succeed and grow into the engineers they have worked so hard to become,” Matt says. “My most important task is to learn.”

Matt says he’s gotten to work with everyone from customers to executives with the company and is able to routinely perform entry-level engineering tasks alongside experienced engineers.

“This is my third semester as an intern engineer for Westar, which has defined my path as a student and as a future engineer to pursue the field of power,” Matt says. “WSU’s connection to Westar is one of the main reasons why I got this opportunity, which has made all the time I have spent in the classroom worth it already.”

Cox says every day there’s something new for him to learn at his internship. Last summer he got to travel to different locations such as generation plants, electrical substations and service operations. This array of learning opportunities, he says, will give him a competitive advantage when it comes time to enter the workforce.

“I believe this is proof that Wichita State is producing students who are capable of sustaining and improving the current state of the community,” Cox says. “Whether it is engineering, fine arts, business, health professions, liberal arts or education, we are improving the Wichita community, and that is what is really important.”