Alumni Spotlight: Evan Morris – Class of ’20

Evan Morris graduated from NC State in 2020 with dual degrees in Paper Science &  Engineering and Chemical Engineering.  We reached out to Evan to find out about his experiences since graduating and what advice he would pass on to current students.  Thanks for your time Evan.

Experience at NC State

•  Internship/co-op experience: International Paper- Eastover, SC, Fall 2016, Twin Rivers- Little Falls, NY, Summer 2018, Trinity Consultants- Charlotte, NC, Summer 2019
• Favorite class: The senior design courses (PSE 415, 416, and 417) combined were a highlight for me. Not so much for the material, but being assigned to a team of individuals who aren’t necessarily your best friends in the program and working through your differences, valuing each other’s opinions, and building trust between teammates is invaluable in your professional career. To go so in depth on a capital project was daunting at first, but with the help of our professors and over many late nights, we were able to competently and clearly plan a $100+ million project that would deliver value to our “company”. To see that whole process through and relate it to the work I do today sets me apart from other entry-level engineers.
• Best memory at State: It is a tough choice, but I would have to say running the pilot paper machine in PSE 472 with Dr. Pal was exceptionally fun. Going through the process of planning the machine run based on reverse engineering of a certain paper product, running the machine and responding to feedback from the paper testing team, then reviewing how our paper compared to the target sheet was an incredibly fun experience.
• Worst memory at State: Without question my worst memory was of my 21st birthday, which was flanked by an Organic Chemistry test from Dr. Kay Sandberg the day before and a Thermodynamics test from Dr. Carol Hall the day after. Needless to say, neither professor was willing to allow me to reschedule.
• Clubs/Hobbies: TAPPI Member, NCSU Singing Statesmen, Centennial Campus Disc Golf Regular
• Favorite part of PSE program: Probably presenting the results of our PSE 371 labs to Dr. Jameel and the rest of the class. It taught me to be thoughtful in how I present data- understand your audience and discuss the most relevant topics in a clear and concise manner, then be prepared to answer clarifying questions as well as provide insight on the mechanics at play. To this day, I can hear Dr. Jameel rapping his pointer stick on the table and inquiring, “are you lazy? Or are you just stupid?” whenever I put together a technical presentation.
• Most important thing PSE taught me: The primary purpose of being an engineer isn’t about turning wrenches or budgeting projects or juggling 500 spreadsheets or driving trains, it’s about being able to understand a complex system or a process and interpreting how to adjust or modify that process in some way that makes it safer/more productive/more profitable. You can be the best data analyst in the world but if you can’t communicate the results of your analysis to the right people in the right way, you won’t be effective.

Current Career Information

• Company/job position: Sappi North America – Research Technologist
• Years at current job: June 2020
• Favorite part of the job: Sappi, and the sites predecessor, SD Warren, has a rich history of innovation and being a leader in the paper industry. That reputation comes with a LOT of knowledge, and being able to pick the brains of people who have been working on the cutting edge of papermaking for 40 years is awesome and a great experience for the early stage of my career.
• Biggest accomplishment in career: Unfortunately, a majority of the bigger projects I have worked on are extremely confidential, but check back with me in 5-10 years and maybe I can talk about it!
• What other positions have you had: First and only position to date.
• Advise for current students: Especially for PSE students, I would recommend trying to find an internship with a paper company in your first 1-2 years at school, and use that experience to gauge if you want to stick with the program. If (more like when) you like it, use your future internships to scope. Try different parts of the paper industry- be a rep for a chemical supplier, see if you can get into a different market (tissue vs board vs graphics), maybe even apply for a sales/procurement job. I tried my hand at being an Environmental Consultant just to see if I liked it better than paper. Turns out I hated it, but I would have never known if I didn’t try it.
• Any other thoughts to share: If you’re a student or a fellow alum planning on attending the PSE Career Fair in the fall, you can see me there! Feel free to approach me about my current position or my time as a student.

Personal Information

• Hometown: Concord, NC
• Tell us about your family: My parents, Gary and Marcia, live in Georgeville, NC, where my dad is the pastor of a small town church, my sister, Katy, and her husband, Jason, live in downtown Concord, NC where she is a local librarian and he is a 911 operator, and my brother, Sam, is a Junior at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC working towards a Neuroscience degree.  I guess I somehow inherited the technical genes from my grandfathers, who were both engineers. My maternal grandfather, Lloyd Green, was a mechanical engineer and my paternal grandfather, Art Jr., was a nuclear engineer.
• Current Hobbies: Maine is a great state for disc golf (when the weather is nice), so that is still a hobby of mine.  I’ve recently passed the audition for the Oratorio Chorale, a choral group from nearby Bowdoin College.  In school I had fun playing racquetball, so that is something I plan to continue.  For the winter months, I’d love to learn to ice skate or ski, so those are both on my list for the coming winter.