Meet the Boston Metal Team: Santana Huck
The mission to tackle 10% of the world’s carbon emissions takes a passionate, multi-disciplinary team. We sat down with one of our dedicated trailblazers – research and development engineer, Santana Huck – so you can get to know him better and learn what excites him most about working at Boston Metal.
R&D materials engineer, Santana Huck has come a long way to work with us at Boston Metal – literally! A native of Hawaii, Santana made his way to the east coast to attend Lehigh University in Pennsylvania where he graduated with a bachelor of science in materials science and engineering and a minor in nanotechnology. He stays true to his roots with his love of the ocean, and still resides beach-side in Boston. Santana’s positive energy brings the island vibes to our company, and his curiosity has been an asset to his work with the R&D team.
Santana credits his professors at Lehigh for encouraging him to take leadership roles and to make the most of his education, because engineers can make important changes to our physical world. With this in mind, his passion for protecting the environment and desire to work in a hands-on collaborative environment made Boston Metal a perfect fit.
When Santana is not working with colleagues in the lab or on one of our pilot cells, he is running, hiking, paddle boarding, and enjoying the beach. Santana loves living in Boston because it aligns with his active lifestyle while also providing access to world class companies and institutions of higher education. He hopes to organize a beach cleanup for his team in the near future.
What do you like about working at Boston Metal?
It is motivating to work on an innovative technology with the potential to disrupt one of the oldest industries. There’s nothing more exciting to an engineer than seeing your calculations and theories play out in real time right before your eyes. But I would say that my colleagues are the real highlight at work. It is great to see where my coworkers’ skills complement each other. We all rely on each other to get things done as a team; we all contribute in a meaningful way. It is very rewarding.
What would you say to someone studying engineering?
As my professor from Lehigh said, “Most of the advancement in humanity comes from advancement in material science.” In essence, in order to solve climate change, we need more engineers, more material scientists. We can have a tremendous impact, and we are at a critical stage in the climate crisis. Come join us and make a difference!
Is it challenging to work on a technology that is not yet commercially available?
Quite the opposite. I feel very fortunate to be working hands-on with a team that is revolutionizing an industry. Steel is essential to modern society. Everything from critical infrastructure, vehicles, and computers use steel; therefore, we need it to be manufactured in a way that does not increase global warming and endanger our planet.
Where are you from and can you tell us about your unique name?
I spent the first 18 years of my life growing up on Maui. I was very fortunate. My parents love music and decided to name me after one of their favorite artists, Carlos Santana. But I turned out to be more of an athlete than a musician. I also love swimming, and had the opportunity to compete in a triathlon this summer. For winter sports, I have really enjoyed learning to ski in New England over the past few years.
Have you had a chance to work with the leadership team at Boston Metal?
Yes, and I appreciate how approachable they are. There aren’t any tasks that are beneath them. At Boston Metal, we all work together. A recent guest toured our plant and described us as old-school engineers who get their hands dirty. You see it throughout the company, at every level. The style of management isn’t, go do that for me, it’s more of, let’s do it together. I have respect and appreciation for the management for setting that tone. I appreciate how hard they are working for us, it shows.
