Member Spotlight: Meet Orayne Mullings

Member Spotlight is a regular INFORM magazine column that features members who play critical roles in AOCS.

Orayne Mullings and two co-workers photographed after a triathlon
Three Desmet Ballestra employees trained together and successfully completed the Tri the Parks sprint triathlon (750-meter swim, 12.5-meter bicycle ride, 5-kilometer run) held in Atlanta in 2019. From left to right: Michael Darcourt, Orayne Mullings, and Mike Griffin.
Fast Facts
Name Orayne Mullings
Joined AOCS 2016
Education B.S. in chemical engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology
Job title Inside sales engineer
Employer Desmet Ballestra
Current AOCS involvement Co-chair, Young Professional Common Interest Group

Professional

What’s a typical day like for you?

As a newer engineer, my responsibilities range from sales (preparation of proposals, sizing and pricing equipment, maintaining standard documents), to engineering (more detailed sizing, process conditions, whatever else is needed in the engineering package), and whatever else lies in-between.

My favorite part of my job is…

The different way it has allowed me to think about numbers. My engineering background means I am familiar with numbers and calculations in an abstract sense. This position has forced me to think about what these numbers mean in the real world.

Why did you decide to do the work you are doing now?

I was focused on medicine and research throughout high school. My sister graduated from Georgia Tech eight years before me and was pursuing a secondary degree in chemical engineering when I entered my freshman year at Georgia Tech. She was able to get me some one-on-one time with professors and advisors to talk through my degree choice, and I decided that being a chemical engineer would give me a good knowledge base and better work/life balance as well as career if I decided against medicine later.

Is there an achievement or contribution that you are most proud of? Why?

Last year I completed the Spartan Race Trifecta and a sprint triathlon. To do that, I had to set tangible goals and meet them. At no point was it easy—sometimes it was fun—but overall I was able to prove to myself that I had the dedication and willpower to follow through.

Personal

What is the most impressive thing you know how to do?

Personally, I think my culinary forte is most impressive. I’m currently figuring out how to make the most healthful, quick meals I can and have become a regular at my local butcher shop.

What skill would you like to master?

Public speaking. Seeing how confidently some coworkers are able to convey their thoughts to a room of people vs. how reserved they can be in other situations gives me the confidence to believe it’s a skill that can be improved. I have no problem presenting and appearing confident, but I feel as though there’s a lot of room to improve.

What are some small things that make your day better?

Watching videos of different species of animals being friends.

What are you looking forward to in the coming months?

I’m planning to propose to my girlfriend, whom I’ve been with since college. She’s a big fan of Nick Cannon’s Wild ’N Out, a television show that started running when we were in middle school. I made plans for us to attend a filming in Atlanta where she’ll no doubt be terrified that I’m going to make a public proposal. In reality, I’ll take her after the show to a quiet spot nearby on our college campus where we celebrated our first anniversary and pop the question there.

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