EWU Alumna Inspires Students

EWU alumna Delaney Putnam, a 2022 graduate who now works as a chemist for Novelis, one of the world’s largest aluminum processors, recently returned to her alma mater to lead an engaging experiential lab for geochemistry students.

Putnam’s work with the students, part of Professor Carmen Nezat’s Geosciences 462 course, focused on a common challenge in the aluminum industry: detecting impurities in metal sheets that can cause problems for manufacturers. Eastern students were tasked with digesting (chemically breaking down) aluminum samples and performing an analysis to isolate potential contaminants.

Putnam said she was inspired by her past experience as an Eastern student to create the lab. She said that during her student days, she always looked forward to lessons that allowed her to apply the knowledge she’d gained in class. Now, as a graduate, Putnam hopes to pay that hands-on learning forward by providing students with similar experiences in the their own classrooms.

Nezat, whose own professional expertise includes work on metals in the environment, also emphasized the value of such applied application of skills. “This learning objective puts into play some of the techniques that the students have already been using,” she said, “modifying those techniques for a broader application into what they might be doing in the real world.”

Nezat added that having alumni like Putnam return is “priceless.” As faculty, she said, “we can tell students this is what you may need in the industry, but until an alum comes back and tells them, it may not sink in.”

For Putnam, the ability to offer a hands-on opportunity with students was deeply rewarding. Putnam, who described herself as someone who learns by doing, said this is “when the connections are made.”

“Seeing not only the process but the final product of our own actions, I think has a bigger impact on how we understand the theory that we learned in class,” Putnam said.

Beyond sharing her professional expertise, Putnam has also been instrumental in championing the establishment of a new scholarship fund provided by Novelis that will support EWU STEM students.

“I saw that other Novelis sites had established similar scholarships for their local universities, so I proposed it to our team and, with the help of a few colleagues, we finalized it in February,” said Putnam who wants to reduce barriers for current STEM students.

Putnam’s journey to a career in chemistry was fueled by a love for challenges and strong mentorship during her time at EWU, including from Nezat. Her upbringing in Alaska instilled a desire to contribute to environmental sustainability. These experiences, she said, “helped me step out of my comfort zone to pursue a job in the aluminum industry.

At Novelis, Putnam is helping the company realize its aim to increase the amount of recycled content in its products. “Recycled content isn’t always the cleanest product to use,” Putnam said. “So there’s definitely the challenge of dealing with the contaminants that come along with using more recycled content.”

For her part, Nezat reinforced the relevance of geochemistry in addressing future challenges, like environmental cleanup, and the responsible use of finite materials essential for modern technology.

Putnam’s return to EWU highlighted the positive impact university alumni can make in enriching the academic experiences of students – bridging the gap between classroom theory and real-world application and paving the way for future success.

“Seeing how EWU is changing – trying to change those experiences for the students – is heartwarming to me,” Putnam reflected.