ASR Group recently inducted our newest group of engineers into our Graduate Development Program (GDP), a two-year structured learning and development program for select new graduates hired into our Engineering team. The program offers the new engineers a hands-on experience to apply what they learned in the classroom and gives them an opportunity to build a foundation for their career. Throughout the program, GDP participants have access to support and mentorship from company leaders, technical Subject Matter Experts and former GDP participants.
Held at the Domino® Sugar Baltimore Refinery, the weeklong GDP induction provided an opportunity for participants to learn about the company and our objectives directly from leadership on topics that included sugar processing, packaging, project management and continuous improvement.
"Our graduate development programs and induction week serve as the foundational stepping stones to a successful professional journey,” said Kerri Grachik, Senior Manager, Talent, Diversity and Inclusion. “They provide the essential knowledge, skills and networks that empower graduates to seamlessly transition from the academic realm to the practical world of work.”
In addition to team team-building exercises and a tour of the Baltimore Refinery, GDP participants learned from Kelly DeAngelo, Vice President of Operations and program sponsor, about Operational Excellence. They also heard from Tiffany Mathador, Yonkers Plant Manager, who shared her experience on managing her career, and from Kenneth Daniel, Corporate Project Engineer II, who shared his experience and lessons learned as a former GDP.
During their first year, GDP participants will focus on the program’s learning objectives and becoming proficient in their core disciplines, which can be Process, Maintenance, Packaging or Controls. A Process Engineer, for example, will acquire core technical knowledge in topics such as white sugar crystallization, carbonatation and evaporation. However, that engineer will also gain an awareness of the other engineering disciplines within the refinery.
In the second and final year of the program, the GDP participant works with his or her Program Manager to develop a learning plan and carry out its objectives, which typically include further technical learning projects, supervisory experience, continuous improvement initiatives or other projects that align with the business’ needs. Strong and continuous engagement by executives who share strategic and tactical knowledge from within their respective areas is a hallmark of the program.
“The graduate development programs lay the groundwork for long-term career growth and achievement, ensuring that graduates have the tools they need to excel and contribute meaningfully to their chosen careers,” said Kerri.
Welcome to all of our new GDPs!
- Amanda Broemmer – Process, Crockett, University of Maryland College Park, BS Chemical Engineering
- Felicia Fridley – Corporate Packaging, Baltimore, Rochester Institute of Technology, BS/MS Industrial Engineering/Sustainable Engineering
- Becca Gibbons - Process, Baltimore, University of Maryland College Park, BS Chemical Engineering
- Charles Li – Packaging, Baltimore, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, BS Mechanical Engineering
- Jared Phair – Utilities, Yonkers, City College of New York, BE Mechanical Engineering
- Luke Robinson – Process, Toronto, Laurentian University, Bachelor of Engineering, Chemical Engineering
- Alexia Ruiz – Corporate Packaging, Chalmette, Louisiana State University, BS Industrial Engineering
- Dylan Schaubhut – Process, Chalmette, Mississippi State University – BS Chemical Engineering
