{"644721":{"#nid":"644721","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Meet Valerie Edward, Stationary Engineer ","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIn March 2019, Valerie Edward moved from Detroit, Michigan to Atlanta to become a stationary engineer at Georgia Tech\u0026rsquo;s Holland Plant. The plant\u0026rsquo;s steam keeps many buildings heated and cooled, and it provides hot water for some showers and dining halls. The facility also provides processed steam for some research labs. A stationary engineer is technically trained to operate, troubleshoot, and oversee the plant\u0026rsquo;s industrial equipment. After two years on the job, Edward works each day to increase her knowledge.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;A variety of components and accessories make up the plant,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;Operators must make sure they\u0026rsquo;re knowledgeable on every aspect by tracing out the different lines \u0026mdash;\u0026nbsp;water supply, steam, and chill water\u0026nbsp;systems. Tracing the lines is tedious but necessary if I\u0026rsquo;m going to be the best.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEdward really enjoys seeing everything work in harmony.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The most rewarding part of my job is when the textbook information matches the practical application. You can read about boilers and combustion and all of those things, but it\u0026rsquo;s exciting when all of it comes together here and you get to see the fuel-air ratio working the way it should,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;The other rewarding part is knowing that we\u0026rsquo;re providing a service to the campus \u0026mdash; cooling in the summer and heating in the winter.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe \u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/features\/hidden-georgia-tech-holland-plant\u0022\u003EHolland Plant,\u003C\/a\u003E located on the Hill, sends steam as far as the Campus Recreation Center and also to some of the buildings along Ninth and 10th streets.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe most challenging part of her job is keeping the equipment in working order and solving problems, such as when systems go offline. \u0026ldquo;You have to think on your feet. You can\u0026rsquo;t waste time deciding what to do first,\u0026rdquo; said Edward, who relies on experience and instinct to address problems quickly.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBeing the only woman working at the Holland Plant was a challenge initially. \u0026ldquo;The guys have come around,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;They see that I am here because I enjoy the work and I want to do a good job.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEdward is also working to implement a recycling initiative at the plant. \u0026ldquo;Changing the way we dispose of waste is important today, given population growth and the massive land fill space that\u0026rsquo;s occupied because of it,\u0026rdquo; she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Ch4\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAway From Work \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/h4\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEdward is interested in carpentry, reading, and ballroom dancing, and she hopes to develop a green thumb.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EShe bought a house about a year ago and it keeps her busy with lawncare and general maintenance. She plans to build a woodworking shed where she can make furniture.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I have done some carpentry work. I can operate a wood lathe, and I was a machinist working with metal. I\u0026rsquo;m pretty handy,\u0026rdquo; she said.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EOne of the projects on her list is a rollaway table to hold her books and magazines while she reads in bed. She likes reading technical books to keep up with what\u0026rsquo;s happening in the field. She also likes reading books about the Victorian era and watching PBS\u0026rsquo; \u003Cem\u003EMasterpiece.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EBefore the coronavirus pandemic and physical distancing, Edward enjoyed ballroom dancing. She danced when she lived in Detroit and she was taking lessons in Atlanta. \u0026ldquo;It\u0026rsquo;s a good way to stay in shape. It\u0026rsquo;s also relaxing and fun.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EEdward is not a gardener, but she loves mangos and wants to see if she can grow a tree. She gave a few mango seeds to a co-worker, Miguel Zarate, who planted the seeds and grew a sapling for her.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;I\u0026#39;m nurturing the plant right now,\u0026rdquo; she said. \u0026ldquo;If I can keep it alive it will be the first tree that I plant in my backyard.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EValerie Edward enjoys seeing everything work in harmony.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Valerie Edward is a stationary engineer at the Holland Plant. "}],"uid":"27713","created_gmt":"2021-02-26 12:56:11","changed_gmt":"2021-03-03 02:05:46","author":"Victor Rogers","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2021-02-26T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"644729":{"id":"644729","type":"image","title":"Valerie Edward","body":null,"created":"1614349878","gmt_created":"2021-02-26 14:31:18","changed":"1614349935","gmt_changed":"2021-02-26 14:32:15","alt":"Valerie Edward at the Holland Plant","file":{"fid":"244787","name":"21C10302-P24-016.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/21C10302-P24-016.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/21C10302-P24-016.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1571855,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/21C10302-P24-016.JPG?itok=2yXH5Eju"}},"644727":{"id":"644727","type":"image","title":"Valerie Edward","body":null,"created":"1614349688","gmt_created":"2021-02-26 14:28:08","changed":"1614350653","gmt_changed":"2021-02-26 14:44:13","alt":"Valerie Edward at the Holland Plant ","file":{"fid":"244784","name":"21C10302-P24-005.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/21C10302-P24-005.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/21C10302-P24-005.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1361069,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/21C10302-P24-005.JPG?itok=iW2A34eQ"}},"644731":{"id":"644731","type":"image","title":"Valerie Edward","body":null,"created":"1614350251","gmt_created":"2021-02-26 14:37:31","changed":"1614350787","gmt_changed":"2021-02-26 14:46:27","alt":"Valerie Edward at the Holland Plant","file":{"fid":"244788","name":"21C10302-P24-020.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/21C10302-P24-020.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/21C10302-P24-020.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1365509,"path_740":"http:\/\/tlwarc.hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/21C10302-P24-020.JPG?itok=GBlMIGMg"}}},"media_ids":["644729","644727","644731"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/www.news.gatech.edu\/features\/hidden-georgia-tech-holland-plant","title":"The Holland Plant "}],"groups":[{"id":"1317","name":"News Briefs"}],"categories":[{"id":"129","name":"Institute and Campus"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187118","name":"Valerie Edward"},{"id":"70171","name":"Holland Plant"},{"id":"3157","name":"Facilities"},{"id":"187119","name":"stationary engineer"}],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71871","name":"Campus and Community"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu\u0022\u003EVictor Rogers\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EInstitute Communications\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["victor.rogers@comm.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}