Improving Processes in Everything She Does
4/28/2021 11:03:00 AM | Volleyball, Student Athlete, Support, Features, Flight 45, Intellectual Development
By: Justin Lafleur, Lehigh Sports Communications
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Former Lehigh volleyball star Rochelle Healea Sheridan '03 is an engineer who hopes to be a source of inspiration for young women looking to take a similar path.
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More specifically, Sheridan is a staff engineer for the company Energy Transfer in the oil and gas industry. Sheridan is located in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania working in the Marcus Hook Terminal.
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"I support several process units here," she said. "We receive Natural Gas Liquids (ethane, propane, butane and natural gasoline) by truck, rail, ship or pipeline. Some of our process units use distillation columns to separate the chemicals and then we either refrigerate them and put them on ships, or the chemicals are loaded onto trucks or sent out by pipeline. My job as a process engineer is to make sure our units operate most efficiently, safely and environmentally friendly."
Â
Sheridan's job includes plenty of teamwork – with some individual field work as well.
Â
"As a process engineer, I review the units in the morning," she said. "I can actually see the whole process unit right at my computer; I can see the flows, the temperatures and the pressure. If I see something that needs to be adjusted, I might call our shift supervisor or console supervisor to make the adjustment right there on the unit.
Â
"Most of my time is spent looking at the operating system on my computer, or working with engineers or operations support in meetings," Sheridan continued.
Â
Sheridan's interest in science began at a young age, so she isn't surprised by where she is today.
Â
"I've always loved math and science," she said. "I was really blessed at our high school to have some engineers come in and present. I was so inspired by the fact that they could make a new product or make a process safer or more environmentally friendly."
Â
That inspiration helped Sheridan on a path towards engineering. When she entered Lehigh, she was questioned if she could handle balancing being a Division I student-athlete with the rigors of a challenging engineering curriculum.
Â
"The professor who challenged me actually became my advisor," said Sheridan. "He set this stack of engineering books in front of me and asked if I was sure I could do chemical engineering and Division I volleyball. My answer was yes, I'm sure. I was sure I wanted to be at Lehigh and knew I could do this. I was going to work really hard to make it happen.
Â
"That challenge has stayed with me my whole career, especially as a woman in engineering," she continued. "You don't always find a lot of women in the field. I'm blessed here at Energy Transfer that we have a lot of women in our construction and projects group."
Â
Sheridan's natural drive has driven her to succeed. One of her goals is to encourage women to have careers in engineering and oil and gas.
Â
Sheridan has more than proven her worth over her now nearly two-decade long career. Flash back to the beginning, and Rochelle actually received and accepted an offer at Sunoco before the spring semester of her senior year.
Â
"I was really blessed," said Sheridan. "I immediately went into an engineering associates program. In the first three years, they moved you to a different site each year and you were able to work at not only a different location, but also in a whole different job."
Â
Her first year out of Lehigh, Sheridan worked on multiple projects at a phenol plant as a process and project engineer.
Â
"The most notable project I completed was a steam line that connected two of the units," she said. "One was out of service, so it was able to conserve all the steam they were venting from the unit that was down."
Â
Sheridan's second rotation was at the Sunoco corporate office where she worked with the principle corporate process engineers and project engineers on larger projects. The third rotation was at a polypropylene plant.
Â
"I stayed at that polypropylene facility for another year then ended up taking a job with Siemens Oil and Gas as a project manager in the pressure relief analysis department, which made me a much better process engineer," said Sheridan. "Pressure relief analysis teaches you to look at the whole process and to understand how a pressure relief valve or relief device can protect a process equipment from hazards created by high or low pressure."
Â
In 2015, Sheridan made a big-picture career decision to accept a process engineering position at the Marcus Hook Terminal. The Terminal was in the process of building the Mariner East Projects that revitalized the former Refinery into a world-class natural gas liquids (NGL) hub. The Mariner Projects included new distillation columns (splitters), chilling equipment and refrigerated storage.Â
.
"I'll be here six years in September and I love it," she said. "It was awesome to be on the ground floor of instillation of the pipe, equipment, distillation columns and compressor systems for our Mariner Unit."
Â
To this day, Sheridan uses skills and experiences learned as a Lehigh student-athlete in almost everything she does.
Â
"Lehigh helped me so much because as a team player, you learn your role," she said. "I was an outside hitter, so my job was to not only pass the ball to the setter, but also get outside and be ready to hit. When you learn your role on a team, it carries over into your role at work.
Â
"My role at work as a process engineer is to make sure my unit is operating within key process parameters that ensure on spec quality and energy efficient operation," Sheridan continued. "The other team players – like the operations supervisors – are instructing the operators in the field who are actually swinging the valves or operating the console to run the Terminal.
Â
"When you're on the court or field for any sport, you've got a position and place. When I come to work, I need to be well-rested and on my game, so I can do well and support my team here."
Â
Sheridan continues to support her alma mater, which she still holds close to her heart. She speaks glowingly about the impact Lehigh has had on her career… and life.
Â
One of the Patriot League's all-time greatest volleyball players (Rochelle was a four-time All-League honoree and named to the league's 25th Anniversary Team during the 2015-16 school year), Sheridan is giving back.
Â
"I had the opportunity to speak with [current volleyball student-athletes] Ava Hudson and Victoria Jepson, who are awesome young ladies," said Sheridan. "They're both studying environmental engineering, which is awesome. It was great to hear their passion for Lehigh volleyball and for the careers they're going to be undertaking. I've given them some career advice, just about highlighting their roles as student-athletes and letting people know they were able to undertake being a student-athlete while maintaining a really high GPA. It shows commitment to their work and also their leadership abilities."
Â
Outside of athletics, Sheridan has also sat in on a first-year engineering class panel.
Â
"I talked about sustainability and energy, answered some questions from first-year engineers and encouraged them in their careers," she said. "I gave them the opportunity to ask questions about how they could make a difference in the industry and why their jobs would be so important."
Â
Sheridan's job is not only important, but also fulfilling because of the importance it has on the overall operation.
Â
"Last year, I was the project manager for a mercaptan vessel," she said. "Mercaptain is the chemical we use to stench the propane. You stench propane so if someone were to leave the stove on, that person would be able to smell the propane and immediately turn off the stove. Otherwise, propane is odorless.
Â
"My project was to install this new tank that would ensure proper stenching of the propane," Sheridan continued. "To see that built when you're looking at this giant tank over 15 feet tall, and to watch a crane set it and know you designed it, is so gratifying.
Â
"It's so awesome to help, support and ensure that something works better and in a safer manner."
Â
While Sheridan is improving processes in her work every day, she is also improving the process of females getting into engineering by telling her story and serving as a source of inspiration (like she had when she was in high school).
Â
"I have two daughters, 12 and nine years old, and I would love for them to be able to be in any career they want, be successful and feel they have the same advantages as any person in that career," said Sheridan. "I'm excited about helping student-athletes and helping women be comfortable in the oil and gas and engineering industries, knowing they can make a huge difference, and to not shy away from that career choice."
Â
Sheridan has this advice for aspiring engineers…
Â
"If someone challenges you, take it as a challenge to drive you further into successful points in your career," said Sheridan. "Just because you're new doesn't mean you can't make a difference. Any time you enter a facility, they may have been doing the same operation over and over again. You may see something that could change and make something safer or more environmentally friendly."
Â
Improving processes is something Sheridan has extensive experience with, due in large part to Lehigh.
Â
"I am so very thankful for my time at Lehigh," she said.
Â
Â
Former Lehigh volleyball star Rochelle Healea Sheridan '03 is an engineer who hopes to be a source of inspiration for young women looking to take a similar path.
Â
More specifically, Sheridan is a staff engineer for the company Energy Transfer in the oil and gas industry. Sheridan is located in Marcus Hook, Pennsylvania working in the Marcus Hook Terminal.
Â
"I support several process units here," she said. "We receive Natural Gas Liquids (ethane, propane, butane and natural gasoline) by truck, rail, ship or pipeline. Some of our process units use distillation columns to separate the chemicals and then we either refrigerate them and put them on ships, or the chemicals are loaded onto trucks or sent out by pipeline. My job as a process engineer is to make sure our units operate most efficiently, safely and environmentally friendly."
Â
Sheridan's job includes plenty of teamwork – with some individual field work as well.
Â
"As a process engineer, I review the units in the morning," she said. "I can actually see the whole process unit right at my computer; I can see the flows, the temperatures and the pressure. If I see something that needs to be adjusted, I might call our shift supervisor or console supervisor to make the adjustment right there on the unit.
 "Most of my time is spent looking at the operating system on my computer, or working with engineers or operations support in meetings," Sheridan continued.
Â
Sheridan's interest in science began at a young age, so she isn't surprised by where she is today.
Â
"I've always loved math and science," she said. "I was really blessed at our high school to have some engineers come in and present. I was so inspired by the fact that they could make a new product or make a process safer or more environmentally friendly."
Â
That inspiration helped Sheridan on a path towards engineering. When she entered Lehigh, she was questioned if she could handle balancing being a Division I student-athlete with the rigors of a challenging engineering curriculum.
Â
"The professor who challenged me actually became my advisor," said Sheridan. "He set this stack of engineering books in front of me and asked if I was sure I could do chemical engineering and Division I volleyball. My answer was yes, I'm sure. I was sure I wanted to be at Lehigh and knew I could do this. I was going to work really hard to make it happen.
Â
"That challenge has stayed with me my whole career, especially as a woman in engineering," she continued. "You don't always find a lot of women in the field. I'm blessed here at Energy Transfer that we have a lot of women in our construction and projects group."
Â
Sheridan's natural drive has driven her to succeed. One of her goals is to encourage women to have careers in engineering and oil and gas.
Â
Sheridan has more than proven her worth over her now nearly two-decade long career. Flash back to the beginning, and Rochelle actually received and accepted an offer at Sunoco before the spring semester of her senior year.
Â
"I was really blessed," said Sheridan. "I immediately went into an engineering associates program. In the first three years, they moved you to a different site each year and you were able to work at not only a different location, but also in a whole different job."
Â
Her first year out of Lehigh, Sheridan worked on multiple projects at a phenol plant as a process and project engineer.
Â
"The most notable project I completed was a steam line that connected two of the units," she said. "One was out of service, so it was able to conserve all the steam they were venting from the unit that was down."
Â
Sheridan's second rotation was at the Sunoco corporate office where she worked with the principle corporate process engineers and project engineers on larger projects. The third rotation was at a polypropylene plant.
Â
"I stayed at that polypropylene facility for another year then ended up taking a job with Siemens Oil and Gas as a project manager in the pressure relief analysis department, which made me a much better process engineer," said Sheridan. "Pressure relief analysis teaches you to look at the whole process and to understand how a pressure relief valve or relief device can protect a process equipment from hazards created by high or low pressure."
 In 2015, Sheridan made a big-picture career decision to accept a process engineering position at the Marcus Hook Terminal. The Terminal was in the process of building the Mariner East Projects that revitalized the former Refinery into a world-class natural gas liquids (NGL) hub. The Mariner Projects included new distillation columns (splitters), chilling equipment and refrigerated storage.Â
.
"I'll be here six years in September and I love it," she said. "It was awesome to be on the ground floor of instillation of the pipe, equipment, distillation columns and compressor systems for our Mariner Unit."
Â
To this day, Sheridan uses skills and experiences learned as a Lehigh student-athlete in almost everything she does.
Â
"Lehigh helped me so much because as a team player, you learn your role," she said. "I was an outside hitter, so my job was to not only pass the ball to the setter, but also get outside and be ready to hit. When you learn your role on a team, it carries over into your role at work.
Â
"My role at work as a process engineer is to make sure my unit is operating within key process parameters that ensure on spec quality and energy efficient operation," Sheridan continued. "The other team players – like the operations supervisors – are instructing the operators in the field who are actually swinging the valves or operating the console to run the Terminal.
Â
"When you're on the court or field for any sport, you've got a position and place. When I come to work, I need to be well-rested and on my game, so I can do well and support my team here."
Â
Sheridan continues to support her alma mater, which she still holds close to her heart. She speaks glowingly about the impact Lehigh has had on her career… and life.
Â
One of the Patriot League's all-time greatest volleyball players (Rochelle was a four-time All-League honoree and named to the league's 25th Anniversary Team during the 2015-16 school year), Sheridan is giving back.
Â
"I had the opportunity to speak with [current volleyball student-athletes] Ava Hudson and Victoria Jepson, who are awesome young ladies," said Sheridan. "They're both studying environmental engineering, which is awesome. It was great to hear their passion for Lehigh volleyball and for the careers they're going to be undertaking. I've given them some career advice, just about highlighting their roles as student-athletes and letting people know they were able to undertake being a student-athlete while maintaining a really high GPA. It shows commitment to their work and also their leadership abilities."
 Outside of athletics, Sheridan has also sat in on a first-year engineering class panel.
Â
"I talked about sustainability and energy, answered some questions from first-year engineers and encouraged them in their careers," she said. "I gave them the opportunity to ask questions about how they could make a difference in the industry and why their jobs would be so important."
Â
Sheridan's job is not only important, but also fulfilling because of the importance it has on the overall operation.
Â
"Last year, I was the project manager for a mercaptan vessel," she said. "Mercaptain is the chemical we use to stench the propane. You stench propane so if someone were to leave the stove on, that person would be able to smell the propane and immediately turn off the stove. Otherwise, propane is odorless.
Â
"My project was to install this new tank that would ensure proper stenching of the propane," Sheridan continued. "To see that built when you're looking at this giant tank over 15 feet tall, and to watch a crane set it and know you designed it, is so gratifying.
Â
"It's so awesome to help, support and ensure that something works better and in a safer manner."
Â
While Sheridan is improving processes in her work every day, she is also improving the process of females getting into engineering by telling her story and serving as a source of inspiration (like she had when she was in high school).
Â
"I have two daughters, 12 and nine years old, and I would love for them to be able to be in any career they want, be successful and feel they have the same advantages as any person in that career," said Sheridan. "I'm excited about helping student-athletes and helping women be comfortable in the oil and gas and engineering industries, knowing they can make a huge difference, and to not shy away from that career choice."
Â
Sheridan has this advice for aspiring engineers…
Â
"If someone challenges you, take it as a challenge to drive you further into successful points in your career," said Sheridan. "Just because you're new doesn't mean you can't make a difference. Any time you enter a facility, they may have been doing the same operation over and over again. You may see something that could change and make something safer or more environmentally friendly."
Â
Improving processes is something Sheridan has extensive experience with, due in large part to Lehigh.
Â
"I am so very thankful for my time at Lehigh," she said.
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