Chase Truttling is from Duncanville, Texas. Because he was interested in math and science in high school, his parents and teachers encouraged him to get an engineering degree. As he learned more about the University of Arkansas and ECAP, he decided it was the right program for him. “I really felt this was the route I wanted to go,” he said. Chase is working on a degree in industrial engineering.

Chase explained that the ways ECAP has helped him are “too numerous to say.” He credits the program with easing the financial burdens of college, helping him gain life-long friends, and providing opportunities like internships and study abroad.

During his first two summers at the U of A, Chase interned at URS, a large engineering firm that had an office in Dallas. This internship had a civil engineering focus, and Chase got plenty of experience in CAD drawings as he worked on important projects, including remodeling the Northwest Arkansas airport and designing a casino in Oklahoma. The firm also took part in a project to transform downtown Dallas, and whenever Chase drives through that area, he notices the improvements he helped bring about. “It really broadened my horizons,” he said.

The summer after his junior year, Chase spent several weeks in Spain, studying renewable energy. “It was the best four weeks of my life,” he explained. While he was there, Chase witnessed the running of the bulls and experienced Spain’s victory in the World Cup.

Chase is a member of the National Society of Black Engineers, the Institute of Industrial Engineers, and Alpha Pi Mu, the industrial engineering honors society. He also serves as an intramural supervisor and official on campus, officiating intramural sporting events. He has accepted a job offer from Burlington Northern Santa Fe railroad, where he will be in the mechanical management trainee program, building on his knowledge of transportation logistics.