UW Unveils HF Sinclair-Supported Control Room, Celebrates Growth of Process Control Education

The University of Wyoming Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering held a ribbon-cutting reception and facility tour Sept. 25 to celebrate the grand opening of its new process control room, an expansion of the Advanced Process Control Laboratory in the Engineering Building.

The new control room was made possible through a generous gift from HF Sinclair in 2025. WE Soda Ltd., DISA, Endpoint Industrial Controls, Honeywell Technologies, Siemens, Rockwell Automation and Crum Electric Supply Co. also were acknowledged for their support of the process control program as a part of this event. These companies provided additional support and contributions of equipment and expertise to the new control room.

UW established the process control minor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering in 2020 in response to a growing demand in the energy, manufacturing and minerals processing industries for trained process control engineers, who are essential to safe and efficient operations in these sectors.

The Advanced Process Control Laboratory opened shortly after the new minor was formalized and gives students hands-on experience designing, testing and building complex control systems.

The control room is the latest expansion to the laboratory, adding multiple terminals running software used by engineers in the field, namely Honeywell and Siemens programs, as well as housing a control unit linked to equipment in the neighboring laboratory.

Process control engineers' ability to respond quickly in high-pressure situations can save lives, protect facilities and conserve valuable resources, so graduates who come job-ready with these skills are in high demand in the workforce.

"Process control education of this caliber, performing the same tasks with the same industrial programs and equipment they will use on a job site, is extremely unusual in educational environments. We already know from our industry partners that our graduates are, and will continue to be, in high demand," says Randolph Pfeiffer, a professor of practice in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering.

HF Sinclair is one such company actively seeking graduates from UW's process control program. Nic Gindulis, a UW graduate from last spring and now a process engineer at HF Sinclair, credits the program with his early success securing employment at the company. During remarks to guests during the opening reception, Gindulis described how his training allowed him to identify an issue that needed attention at the plant during his internship, which led to a job offer even prior to graduation.

"HF Sinclair is proud to support this new facility, which will provide students with valuable hands-on experience in a realistic industrial control room environment," says Brady Wilkison, manager of technical services for the HF Sinclair Casper Refinery. "By gaining exposure to the technologies and operations they will encounter in the workforce, students will be better prepared to transition successfully into their careers."

The grand opening ceremony included a formal ribbon cutting in the control room. Representatives who attended on behalf of HF Sinclair included Alex Young, supervisor of process engineering; Wilkison, Gindulis and Marcus Hoversland, a process engineer. Department head Vladimir Alvarado, Pfeiffer and Ian Hammontree, an assistant lecturer, represented the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering. Also present were Angela Ver Ploeg and Khalil Gray from the UW Foundation, Office of Industry and Strategic Partnerships, which organized the event.

After the ribbon-cutting ceremony, a reception took place in the Engineering Building with remarks from Ver Ploeg, Alvarado, Pfeiffer, Wilkison, Gindulis and Hammontree. Tours of the new control room, facilitated by the leadership of the AIChE student organization, followed.

The event is the culmination of more than a year of dedicated work from multiple partners within and outside the university. Alvarado is excited to see it come together and to officially open the space for use by students.

"The uniqueness of the process control simulation space emerged from a joint vision between UW and industry partners and, thanks to their generous support, to recreate a learning experience that prepares our students to have fulfilling professional opportunities and support industry in Wyoming," Alvarado says.

The process control room and opportunities now afforded to students pursuing education and training in sectors critical to Wyoming's economy would not be possible without industry partners who see a need and work to support making it a reality.

"The process control program is a great example of what can happen when industry and the university work together around a shared need," says Ver Ploeg, senior director of corporate engagement at the Office of Industry and Strategic Partnerships. "We are so grateful to HF Sinclair and the industry partners who have invested their resources, equipment and expertise in this program that are helping UW create an educational experience that reflects the environments our students will encounter in the workforce."