1. THOMAS A. HUGHES
26 Crawford Drive Ballston Lake, NY 12019
(518) 369-8760 • tahughes@buffalo.edu
EDUCATION:
Bachelor of Science, Chemical Engineering Graduated: May 2016
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York Buffalo, NY
GPA: 3.85/4.00
Bachelor of Science, Chemistry Graduated: December 2013
Roberts Wesleyan College Rochester, NY
GPA: 3.39/4.00; Dean High: Fall 2010, Fall 2013; Dean Higher: Fall 2012
ENGINEERING PROJECTS:
Developed Protocol for Transition to Globally Harmonized System (GHS) at UB Facilities Spring 2016
• Worked in a team of graduate and undergraduate students to transition the current Materials Safety Data Sheet
(MSDS) system at UB facilities to Safety Data Sheet (SDS) format to comply with GHS standards.
• Assessed current MSDS system to generate a list of customer needs for UB facilities.
• Utilized needs to determine which MSDS subscription database best suits UB facilities’ operational environment.
• Generated a proposal and presented it to UB facilities supervisors.
Preliminary Design and Economic Analysis for a Lactic Acid Chemical Plant Spring 2016
• Collaborated with a three-classmate project team to generate the most economical and feasible lactic acid plant.
• Determined equipment size and specifications for batch fermentation, liquid-liquid extraction, distillation, heat
exchange, and pipe sizing.
• Utilized mass balances, energy balances, and cost analysis to determine the most economical plant layout.
• The project was presented as a group poster presentation at an engineering design expo and as a group
presentation to a group of engineers in industry and faculty members.
Analyzed Performance of Plate and Shell-and-Tube Heat Exchangers Spring 2015
• Measured temperatures of water in both a plate and shell-and-tube heat exchanger. Both cocurrent and
countercurrent configurations were used. Measurements were made using LabView and imported into Excel.
• Flow rates of both the hot and cold water streams were changed and the change in water temperature was
measured over time. Temperature profiles were constructed from the data.
• The heat power emitted, absorbed, and lost was determined for each type and configuration.
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE:
Research Intern July 2008 – June 2010 (Mostly during summer)
Union College Aerogel Lab Schenectady, NY
• Experimented with the fabrication of TEOS-based silica aerogels prepared via Union’s patented rapid
supercritical extraction process.
• Measured the pore distribution, pore diameter, BET surface area and bulk and skeletal densities of the fabricated
aerogels.
• The research was published: Estok, S.K., Hughes, T.A., Carroll, M.K., & Anderson, A.M., Journal of Sol-Gel
Science and Technology, 2014, doi: 10.1007/s10971-014-3292-x
TECHNICAL SKILLS:
Programming: C++, Python
Software: Microsoft Office Suite, MATLAB
JOB EXPERIENCE:
Warehouse Order Picker July 2012-August 2015 (Summer only)
Parts Unlimited Ballston Spa, NY
• Picked and stocked aftermarket powersports parts for distribution.
ACTIVITIES & AWARDS:
Member, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society at University at Buffalo Spring 2014