Allee Williams ’23

Growing up, Allee Williams wanted to be a scientist, a builder, or a detective. Not content to choose just one of these paths, he decided to wrap them all into one and pursue a career in engineering.

"Engineering is the one thing that really brings all three of those concepts together," he said.

Originally on the mechanical engineering track, Williams had a game-changing conversation with Dr. Matt Kropf, associate professor of engineering technology and director of the energy institute at Pitt-Bradford. Dr. Kropf’s passion and enthusiasm for the world of energy science captivated Williams, who quickly changed his major to energy science and technology.

“He's so passionate about (energy science),” Williams said of Dr. Kropf. “Just talking to him about it, you get engulfed in it.”

As soon as Williams began his energy science classes and studies, he knew he had found his passion.

“It clicked immediately. I knew this is what I wanted to do,” Williams said. “Everything about the energy sector and energy engineering, it just felt right for me.”

One of Williams’ standout moments at Pitt-Bradford was his capstone project. Tasked with evaluating if the Duke Building’s roof could support a solar array, Allee pored over load calculations and learned how to use complex data software to create energy dashboards to monitor the solar array’s production. 

While the solar project was quite nerve wracking at times, Williams said it taught him to embrace new and challenging experiences. It was also a great hands-on, real-world project that set him up well for his first post-graduation engineering job.

After graduation, Williams took a position with HBS Solutions Inc, which provides engineering and technical services to government, commercial, and manufacturing facilities. Here, Williams splits his time between commissioning building systems and engineering energy-saving measures for various facility projects.

Looking to the future, Williams wants to develop his skills and knowledge of engineering while building toward a career in energy research. He is especially interested in research within the fields of clean air and clean energy technology.

“If I'm able to do engineering and be a scientist within clean energy technology, then that would be the life right there.”