Rana Doasa
- Course: Chemical and Energy Engineering MEng, BEng
Rana Doasa is in her final year of her Chemical and Energy Engineering MEng, BEng degree.
Rana decided to study at Leeds because she wanted to go to a campus university, she said: “Leeds and London both boasted top-notch universities, so I was split between them. I choose Leeds because it is a campus institution and only a 10-minute walk from campus to the city centre.”
“The distance between most university accommodations and the city centre is brilliant. As a result, I no longer stress about overspending on public transportation or arriving late to lectures.”
A wide variety of modules
At first, Rana was unsure about what she wanted to study at university because multiple courses sounded appealing. Reflecting on her choice, Rana said: “I have always been interested in the environment and I enjoyed mathematics and chemistry at school. Chemical Engineering at Leeds seemed to link all my interests.”
“The modules offered were also very varied. For instance, some modules included topics like nanotechnology, materials science, and nuclear energy. I didn't anticipate that chemical engineering would cover such topics, but this course did provide that choice.”
The modules offered were also very varied. For instance, some modules included topics like nanotechnology, materials science, and nuclear energy.
Researching renewable technology
Studying a wide variety of modules helped Rana find out what area of chemical engineering she was most interested in: “My favourite module was Renewable Technology. We looked at the underlying science behind numerous renewable energy sources, including geothermal, wind, and solar. We looked at energy regulations and analysed the technologies' financial viability.”
After enjoying studying renewable technology modules throughout her course, Rana decided to focus on this for her dissertation project and research the topic in more depth. She said: “My dissertation is exploring the financial impact of using renewable technologies on small island developing states.”
“As many countries draft new climate change policies, the switch to a low carbon future may pose a financial challenge in some regions. I am enjoying my research as it opened my eyes to the complexity of the climate crisis. I can also see myself applying it in my future career.”
My dissertation is exploring the financial impact of using renewable technologies on small island developing states. I am enjoying my research as it opened my eyes to the complexity of the climate crisis.
Year in Industry
Rana completed a Year in Industry placement as part of her degree. She said: “For my year in industry, I worked as an Energy Analyst at Arcus FM. I worked as part of a team of 6, for a few clients. The role mainly involved monitoring a client’s solar estate project, conducting remote analysis on overbudget client sites and assisting team members in various projects.”
“It was a brilliant experience. As Arcus is a medium sized company, I had a lot of responsibilities from the first day. This helped me developed invaluable experiences, that I was able to speak about during my graduate role applications.”
For my year in industry, I worked as an Energy Analyst at Arcus FM. The role mainly involved monitoring a client’s solar estate project, conducting remote analysis on overbudget client sites and assisting team members in various projects.
Student life
Throughout her degree, Rana enjoyed connecting with nature on campus, trying out different societies and finding new restaurants in Leeds. She said: “I love how green the campus is. There are parks all around campus, rabbits, and ducks, so it helps you connect with nature when taking a break from your studies.”
“There are over 350 societies, so there is something for everyone. Through societies you get to meet people from all around the world that have similar interests to you. There is no pressure to pick one society and stick to it, I tried so many and wish I can try even more before I graduate.”
“The accommodation was great, I stayed at The Tannery which was only a 15-minute walk from university. The staff hosted many socials where you get to meet people from different flats.”
“Leeds is a very diverse city. My favourite thing about it is the variety of food; whether you are craving Ethiopian, Greek, Spanish or Nigerian food, you will find a restaurant for you. Woodhouse Moor, Ilkely, and York are close by if you prefer hiking in the great outdoors. You never get bored!”
The Henry Royce internship
As well as her Year in Industry, Rana did summer internships in the School of Chemical and Process Engineering, including the Henry Royce internship. Looking back at her experience, she said: “Through the Henry Royce internship I had the chance be included as a co-author in a research paper.”
“In addition, I developed research, leadership, and teamwork skills. Looking at the requirements of my future career, those skills are very important to ensure success in my field.”
I developed research, leadership, and teamwork skills. Looking at the requirements of my future career, those skills are very important to ensure success in my field.
Future career goals
As she’s in her final year, Rana is currently considering what she wants to do in the future. She said: “The different modules I completed, summer internships and the placement year, exposed me to different areas of engineering and career sectors that I never considered.”
“I have decided to pursue an engineering project management career and I hope to continue developing my skills and experiences.”
The different modules I completed, summer internships and the placement year, exposed me to different areas of engineering and career sectors that I never considered.