OxyChem Facility Tour- Learning through Experience

At Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC), engineering students are learning not only in the classroom, but also in the real world. Ty Reitzel ’26, an electrical engineering major, recently toured the OxyChem facility in Ingleside, Tx, with his Industrial Safety Systems Engineering class. Through this tour, Reitzel and his classmates had the opportunity to view a functioning ethane cracking facility and learn about the processes and safety procedures used in real chemical engineering facilities around the world.  

Industrial Safety Systems Engineering is taught by Dr. Stewart Behie, Professor of Industrial Engineering at TAMU-CC.  

“It is hands down the most applicable class I have taken,” said Reitzel. “Once you have learned the basics in class, you get to walk through a fully functioning facility and see all the moving parts work together.” 

  Throughout the semester, Behie leads his class on three to four tours of various engineering facilities. During these tours, students see the safety processes they have learned about in action. The experience takes learning a step further by allowing students to observe real-world applications firsthand. Visiting these facilities also gives students a chance to network with the current employees and explore potential career opportunities.  

Beyond the tours, Industrial Safety Systems Engineering also helps students by immersing them in a class with a diverse set of engineering disciplines. 

“Being around students that are studying different types of engineering has given me the opportunity to learn about engineering in a broader sense," said Reitzel. “I have really benefited from hearing the different perspectives of everyone in the class.”  

Through experiences like the OxyChem facility tour, TAMU-CC engineering students are bridging the gap between theory and practice. Courses such as Industrial Safety Systems Engineering prepare Reitzel and his classmates not only with technical knowledge, but also with the professional readiness, collaboration skills, and real-world perspective needed to succeed as engineers.