AIST Foundation Steel Intern Scholarship
Ava P. Dutton
This summer I completed my second internship with Nucor, joining the environmental department at Nucor Steel Kingman in Kingman, Ariz., USA. Last year, I worked at another Nucor Corp. location and it was eye-opening to see the similarities in culture and safety, but also the differences in operations between facilities.
At Kingman, I worked on projects that supported water system reliability and environmental compliance. Water might not be the first thing someone thinks of when they think steelmaking, but it’s critical, from cooling and process flows to dust suppression and environmental protection. My largest project was developing a detailed operations manual for the plant’s solids contact clarifier, creating a step-by-step guide to standardize training and daily operation. I also documented pump house systems and flow logic to make troubleshooting more efficient, and I assisted with installing and calibration new flow and turbidity monitoring equipment to improve process data and reporting accuracy.
Beyond technical work, I learned how to adapt quickly in a new plant, build strong working relationships, and see how environmental engineering principles are applied in an industrial setting. Both internships have strengthened my interest in sustainable manufacturing and shown me how engineering roles can make a real, lasting impact on operations.
I’m grateful to my Nucor teammates for their mentorship and to the AIST Foundation for recognizing and encouraging students to pursue careers in the steel industry.