Justin Jordan’s first experience with engineering was in an introductory chemistry class in high school. He was assigned a project on hemodialysis, which is a treatment for advanced kidney failure, but his teacher did not give him any instructions.

Fortunately, this experience did not deter him from pursuing STEM studies. Rather, it started a passion for chemical engineering.

“She just threw the project at us. We thought, ‘Why are we doing this project? We don’t know what we’re doing,’” Jordan says.

But as the project continued, Jordan realized the value of solving problems on his own.

“We had to research and understand the project, and then we had to build a system from that understanding and present the data,” Jordan says. “That experience opened my eyes to engineering.”

Jordan grew up near Charleston in Goose Creek, South Carolina. Excelling in math and science, he decided to follow in the footsteps of an older cousin, who graduated from the University of South Carolina with a degree in chemical engineering.

“I realized that I like problem solving, so engineering seemed like something I wanted to pursue,” Jordan says. “But I was also always good at chemistry, and it seemed like the perfect major for me.”

Jordan is a senior chemical engineering major and aims to become a sales engineer, a type of salesperson with specialized expertise in technologically advanced products. Jordan is part of the inaugural class of students benefitting from a sales engineering partnership between the Darla Moore School of Business and the Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing.

“I don’t want to be in a career where I’m doing the same thing every day. I’ve always been interested in the business side, and with sales engineering, I can use my technical experience and apply that in a sales context,” Jordan says.

Jordan spent this past summer working as part of a research group with Associate Dean for Research and Chemical Engineering Professor William Mustain on using hydrogen and air to make electricity. The project is a collaboration with Plug Power to research hydrogen fuel cells, a promising device to create sustainable electricity.

The technology uses a membrane to separate hydrogen and oxygen, while the two elements combine to create water. The reaction also generates electricity, which can be harnessed to sustainably power manufacturing processes.

“Instead of making heat, you directly make electricity, and the fuel cell can be completely carbon neutral,” Mustain says. “I think our research has the potential to change how we use clean energy sources in manufacturing contexts.”

Jordan’s role in this research is to study how contaminant gases affect the fuel cells’ electricity output. He feeds contaminants into the cell and measures how the voltage changes. When the voltage becomes steady, Jordan removes the impurity to see if the cell can return to full power.

“Justin is finding that these impurities have a significant impact on the power output of the fuel cell,” Mustain says. “He’s constantly asking questions to myself, grad students and the sponsor. He has taken every opportunity he’s been given to talk and interact with the company.”

Jordan says the internship with Plug Power has been the most valuable experience but not only because of the research.

“It’s because of presenting and getting more confident with public speaking. With sales, you need to know how to talk to people effectively and communicate with them,” Jordan says.

Mustain was also impressed with Jordan’s progress with public speaking over the summer.

“He wants to present to the sponsor and really represent his work. That’s not very common with undergrads,” Mustain says.

Jordan admits that the chemical engineering path is not an easy one. Even with all his progress, he still struggles with school. But unlike his hemodialysis project in high school, he has the instructions and tools to succeed.

“If you look up the hardest majors, chemical engineering is in the top five because some of the classes are really challenging,” Jordan says. “But you never stop learning, and there’s no limits with sales engineering.”