Baker Hughes STEMinar Showcases Technology, Innovation and Opportunities

More than 100 Tomball Memorial High School students filled the school library for a STEMinar featuring Baker Hughes’ expertise with gas turbines. Raj Sen, Ron Nair, Arun Vasanad, and Belle Bravenec represented Baker Hughes as the company furthered its partnership with Tomball Independent School District.

“It’s critical to talk to students about energy technology, which Baker Hughes leads, to get them excited and to open their minds so they can see what’s ahead of them and pursue something they’re passionate about,” offered Sen.

The event opened with an introduction to gas turbines, including history, uses and operating principles. Students listened and participated via questions as the industry experts shared their experiences working with critical power technology.

Bravenec took time to explore STEM careers and discuss her path to Baker Hughes. The recent Texas A&M graduate explained how Baker Hughes’ ASPIRE program exposed her to several roles within the organization’s Sales & Commercial unit to gain an array of skills. By detailing her STEM journey, Bravenec outlined a tangible pathway for the students.

“One of the things we noticed during the middle school STEM program is not many girls were trying engineering as an elective, so we wanted to go to the high school level and tell the students not to shy away from trying engineering. We want to change the mindset and show that engineering is for everyone,” said Nair.

“All of these students are thinking about making engineering a career. It’s important for them to recognize what they’d be doing after they went through all that schooling,” added Jennifer Bourgeois, Tomball Memorial Engineering Teacher.

The STEMinar ended with a discussion about new gas turbine technology, product evolution and how technology matters for the future. Baker Hughes personnel quizzed the students on gas turbine topics and left time for questions from the students.

“Innovation is a critical aspect. There is such a need for bright minds who think about bringing new ideas to energy technology. We want students to think about the deeper aspects of technology and innovation,” added Nair.

“All of our engineering courses are taught to problem solve, to take inventions and apply them to different things,” said Bourgeois. “One of the things I heard Baker Hughes say was, ‘minimize inventions and maximize applications,’ which is something I want to use in my classroom.”