nick behling - an overview...
Objective
Eager, punctual, utility-zealous licensed mechanical engineer and energy manager, aiming to promote company-wide sustainable practices, and executing utility-efficient and corresponding cost-savings initiatives.
Education
Master of Science, Mechanical Engineering – December 2019
Specialization – Energy and Sustainability
Northwestern University | Evanston, IL
Overall GPA: 3.93/4.00
Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering – May 2018
The University of Texas at Austin | Austin, TX
Overall GPA: 3.7/4.0
Major GPA: 3.9/4.0
Sustainable Energy Systems Certificate – May 2018
The University of Texas at Austin – Department of Mechanical Engineering | Austin, TX
Relevant Work Experience
Sandia National Laboratories
Senior Energy and Data Engineer | Livermore, CA
Spring 2023 to Present
Designated as the utility-metering subject matter expert (SME) for the Sandia-California site: responsible for performing network integrations and data analyzation efforts; updating and maintaining pertinent product specifications; and maintaining DOE-compliance.
Contributing significant mechanical and controls engineering input for major Facilities Design and Construction projects and all-encompassing Fault Detection & Diagnostic networks.
Raytheon Technologies
Senior Facilities Energy and Water Engineer | Tucson, AZ
Winter 2020 through Spring 2023
Working as an Energy and Water Engineer for Real Estate & Facilities (RE&F), under Enterprises Services. Providing internal support for the Raytheon Missiles & Defense business unit (the combination of the former Missile Systems and Integrated Defense Systems business units), headquartered in Tucson, AZ.
Collaborating with other RE&F and Environmental, Health, Safety, and Sustainability (EHSS) personnel to promote company-wide sustainable practices and energy- and water-saving initiatives, further upholding Raytheon Technologies as a leader in sustainability in the aerospace and defense industry.
Northwestern University – McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science
M.S. Mechanical Engineering Research Assistant | Evanston, IL
Fall 2018 through Fall 2019
Assisted in analyzing and evaluating whether producing sodium hydroxide (NaOH) from seawater- and brackish groundwater-reverse osmosis (SW-RO, BGW-RO) desalination brine, posed any energy/environmental advantages to conventional methods of NaOH production, as co-product valuation is a potential route for making desalination more viable.
Research involved reviewing extensive published literature for information on material and water intensity of conventional NaOH production and desalination; and comparing conventional- and desalination-based methods for NaOH production using Argonne National Laboratory’s Greenhouse gases, Regulated Emissions and Energy use in Transportation (GREET®) model.
Engineering Fluid Mechanics Grader | Evanston, IL
Winter 2019
Assigned to grade homeworks, midterms, and final exams for an undergraduate engineering fluid mechanics course (ME 373-0) for the Winter 2019 Quarter.
Geosyntec Consultants
Graduate Engineering Intern | Austin, TX
Summer 2018
Assisted with a State CCR (Coal Combustion Residuals) permit application for the regulatory closure of a large ash pond at a Confidential Utility in the southeastern United States. Permit application included development of design for stormwater and contact water management systems (including pre-development and post-development analysis), detention pond design, culvert design, open channel flow design, and energy dissipation design using HydroCAD and Federal Highway Administration HY-8 modeling software, as well as area calculations using AutoCAD.
Helped design a stormwater bypass channel and an emergency spill for an existing small dam owned by a Confidential Client at an oil and gas production site in South Texas. Analysis included stormwater modeling using HydroCAD, and emergency spillway design for the Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP) event.
Data review and management of groundwater elevation measurements at regulatory wells for quarterly and annual reporting to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for permit compliance at an industrial wastewater treatment plant landfarm application site along the Texas coast.
Prepared electronic boring logs from subsurface geologic investigation associated with a lateral landfill expansion permit application for an existing landfill in east Austin.
Conducted open records file searches at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for landfill permit surface water management, as well as water well ownership and registration records.
Field work and engineering oversight for contractor installation of geomembrane liner system for wet pond facilities in south Austin, Texas.
Webber Energy Group – The University of Texas at Austin, Department of Mechanical Engineering
Undergraduate Research Assistant | Austin, TX
Fall 2017, Spring 2018, Summer 2018
Assisted Ph.D. students in developing a modeling framework to evaluate the technical and economic feasibility of decentralized water supplies (on-site collection, treatment, and reuse of rain-, gray-, and black-water on a land parcel), to offset demand for potable water and wastewater services and reduce physical extent of centralized water and wastewater infrastructure.
Assisted in identifying high-potential customer segments for energy and water savings in the residential sector, and identifying least-cost appliance retrofit strategies for said consumer segments in support of sustainability initiatives across the United States.
Research involved extensive literature review, data analyzation using Python, AnyLogic (Java), and Microsoft Excel, and assisting in the completion of the aforementioned Ph.D. students’ dissertations.
Leonard Rice Engineers, Inc.
Water Resources Engineering Intern | Round Rock, TX
Summer 2017
Worked on multiple projects that involved allocating water rights between the Gulf Coast Water Authority and its municipal and industrial customers, including DowDuPont, Valero, Thomas S. Mackey Water Treatment Plant, and the surrounding Texas City areas.
Assisted in performing topographic and bathymetric surveys of the settling pond at Brushy Creek Municipal Utility District's water treatment plant, and the stormwater pond at Shirley McDonald Park.
These projects involved extensive data analyzation using MATLAB, the Water Rights Analysis Package (WRAP) Modeling System, and Microsoft Excel; field measurements of important hydraulic parameters, writing reports, and creating presentations for client(s).
The University of Texas at Austin – Cockrell School of Engineering
Engineering Fluid Mechanics Tutor | Austin, TX
Fall 2016, Spring 2017
Tutored fellow engineering students the fundamentals of engineering fluid mechanics in the Cockrell School of Engineering. Required to work in both classroom and laboratory settings.
CP&Y, Inc.
Water Practice Engineering Intern | Austin, TX
Summer 2016
Evaluated the feasibility of replacing a gravity belt thickener (used to thicken/dewater wastewater sludge prior to conversion into compost) with a high-efficiency centrifuge dewatering system at the Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, after comparing capital and operating costs, process and energy efficiencies, quality of processed sludge, and health and environmental concerns.
Providing solutions in controlling the amount of dissolved oxygen added in the wastewater in one of the aeration basins at the Cedar Park Water Reclamation Facility.
These projects involved data analyzation using Microsoft Excel, reading and interpreting as-built drawings, writing reports, and preparing presentations for client(s).
Activities
American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Member – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
The University of Texas at Austin – Club Tennis Team (USTA Tennis on Campus)
Social Chair Officer – 2016, 2017
Member – 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018
Honors, Awards, Credentials
Professional Engineer (P.E.) [Mechanical - HVAC/R]
Arizona: #77984; California: #41835
Certified Energy Manager (CEM®), Association of Energy Engineers (AEE)
Certification ID: #28184
The University of Texas at Austin – Chi Epsilon Honor Society
Social Chair Officer – 2017, 2018
Member – 2017, 2018
National Honor Society for Civil Engineering Students who are ranked in the top third of their junior or senior Civil Engineering class.
The University of Texas at Austin – Club Tennis Team
Won “Tennis Club of the Year” award for the state of Texas; won 2nd place in USTA Texas Sectional Tournament; qualified for USTA National Tournament.
The University of Texas at Austin – University Honors
2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
Awarded to students who maintain a semester GPA of at least 3.5.
Skills
Strong work ethic, able to work well in a collaborative environment; excellent communication skills; punctual, curious, and always eager to learn. Basic or fluent understanding of the following programs:
Utility Meter Integrations (MODBUS, ION)
Schneider Electric’s Power Monitoring Expert (PME)
HVAC-, Compressed Air-, and Boiler-System Design and Analysis
Alchemy Unlimited’s RECIPE Analytics
Python
SQL Databases
Various Building Automation Systems (BAS): JCI Metasys, Siemens Apogee and Desigo, Alerton, Delta Controls
AutoCAD
Inventor
Microsoft Office
MATLAB
EES (Engineering Equation Solver)
HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, EPA SWMM
HydroCAD
HY-8
RELEVANT COURSEWORK
Fluid Mechanics
Thermodynamics
Heat Transfer
Environmental Engineering
Hydraulic Engineering
Water & Wastewater Treatment Engineering
Air Pollution Engineering
Hydraulic Engineering Design
Thermal-Fluid Systems
Energy, Technology & Policy
Environmental Transport Processes
Topics in Contemporary Energy and Climate Change
Industrial Energy Management and Utilization
Quantitative Methods in Life-Cycle Analysis
Materials for Energy-Efficient Technology
Thermal Energy Systems Design
Energy Law and Policy
Environmental Law and Policy
Scientific Coding in Python