CEAS Student Applies Chemical Engineering to Everyday Products through Co-op and Coursework

Engineering connects science to life in unexpected ways. That’s what Chris Stone (chemical engineering ’19) found out early on in life.

“One of my favorite shows as a child was ‘How It’s Made,’” says Stone. “While watching the show, I was amazed by the graceful motion of machines producing thousands of tubs of ice cream an hour. I was inspired to one day be the person that made this possible.”

Stone, who is originally from Westlake in Northeastern Ohio, chose chemical engineering as his major because of this interest in products we take for granted every day that, without engineering, would not be possible.

Though Stone’s interest evolved from processed food to other household products, his passion has never wavered for using new technologies in science and engineering to solve real-world problems.

Through University of Cincinnati’s (UC) nationally ranked cooperative education (co-op) program, Stone has completed five full rotations with Procter & Gamble (P&G), all in the company's beauty research and development division. He has worked on household brands such as Old Spice, Secret, Pantene and Head & Shoulders. Each time Stone took another co-op position with the Fortune 500 company, he gained a little more responsibility, across both the business and product development spectrum.

“As I continued to return to P&G, the responsibilities of my assignments have grown in scope and value,” says Stone. “I have had the opportunity to work on many new areas that have led to tangible business decisions.”

For example, Stone’s work in technical validation for cost-savings projects created tangible data that allowed his managers to define potential cost-saving areas within the company.

To Stone, the UC experience has been a good blend of academia and industry. He is enrolled in the Accelerated Engineering Degree (ACCEND) program, which allows students to earn an undergraduate and graduate degree in a shortened timeframe. Stone is pursuing an MBA while simultaneously taking chemical engineering courses and still managing to fit in five co-op rotations.

After graduation, Stone hopes to use his engineering and business degree to advance into a managerial position with a consumer packaged-goods company, like P&G. He believes that his experience with co-op and UC has prepared him for his next step.

Says Stone, “Co-op and UC have prepared me for the future by teaching me how to solve real-world problems and giving me a full understanding of the science behind products we use every day.”