A look into Cal Poly’s air conditioning and refrigeration club
Cal Poly is home to hundreds of on-campus student clubs from a variety of majors and fields. For those interested in the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry (HVAC&R), Cal Poly has its own club for this line of work.
Students who are interested in the HVAC field can join the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE), a global professional organization with a Cal Poly chapter.
Cal Poly ASHRAE president and mechanical engineering senior Max Scott has been in the club since his junior year.
“What we mainly do is have guest speakers come in and they talk about different parts of the heating, ventilation, air conditioning and refrigeration industry out in the real world,” Scott said. “We also share opportunities for jobs and internships with students and give people the opportunity to learn more about what they can do in the future.”
At a January meeting, two 2021 Cal Poly graduates working for the mechanical, electrical and plumbing company Harris & Sloan gave a presentation on building plans and improving residential and commercial structures.
Beyond hosting industry speakers on campus, ASHRAE club members have also attended out-of-state conferences, like Madison Kai who is the special projects director for Cal Poly ASHRAE and an incoming graduate student in the mechanical engineering program. Kai traveled to Chicago for the Women In ASHRAE Leadership Symposium last September.
Besides seeing her recently graduated friend from Cal Poly’s mechanical engineering program present at the conference, Kai was able to explore Chicago and connect with other women leaders in the HVAC&R industry.
“I thought that was so cool and I got to explore the city with some of our other officers and really see what Chicago’s like and learn more about ASHRAE as a whole,” Kai said.
Mechanical engineering senior and vice president of meetings for Cal Poly ASHRAE, Julia McMorrow, established a sense of community within the club by finding like-minded individuals. McMorrow also said that the club has had a lot of success in getting its members internships throughout its career fairs and other activities.
“I didn’t really know much about HVAC until I joined the club because it’s a very big part of our industry,” McMorrow said. “Because the mechanical engineering major can be so broad sometimes, it’s hard to find where you want to fit into the mechanical engineering industry.”
Scott feels similarly, as he is confident and hopeful for the club’s future as they continue to progress. The Cal Poly ASHRAE chapter has been around since the 1940s and 50s, according to Scott.
“A good goal is to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” Scott said. “The format for the club has been pretty much the same for the past couple years: have industry speakers come in, talk to people, have food for people to eat and give people the opportunity to meet other students that are interested in the field.”
To stay up to date on Cal Poly ASHRAE’s events and for more membership information, you can visit their website and Instagram.
