NEW MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: CLAIRE LUPIEN FORMED A BLOSSOMING CAREER OUT OF HER PASSION FOR MATH AND SCIENCE

By Gabrielle Chisolm, Communications Intern, a junior majoring in English at the University of Maryland

A love for all things engineering ignited a fire and drive within new DLE member Claire Lupien.

Claire grew up on the coast of Maine, with a passion for engineering growing at a steady pace throughout her early years. “When I was younger, people would say to me, ‘You’re really good at math and science, you should be an engineer!’” Claire expresses.

Her decision to major in engineering was sealed in high school, during a club-sponsored trip to the University of Maine to learn about its engineering disciplines. She received the UMaine Pulp and Paper Foundation scholarship during her college search, cementing her decision to attend the University of Maine to pursue a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, which she received in 2020.

Through a college internship, she was introduced to the company where she currently works, Crane Currency. As a pulp and paper company affiliated with the University of Maine, Crane Currency proved to be a great fit for Claire. “We make a really cool product, and I get to work with great people, so I can get really passionate about what I do!”

Her internship opened the door to a job offer for a full-time position after graduation as Continuous Improvement Engineer. In this role, Claire facilitates efficiency projects, such as reducing yield loss. She regularly interacts with many of Crane’s departments, enabling her to build her professional network and knowledge of the company.

“I really enjoy it because I have a bit of business background and a bit of a technical background. When I interact with people who are working with the equipment, my technical background helps me understand what they’re talking about. And I have enough of a business background to help some of our managers with their presentations to the executives,” she explains.

Claire thrives on the in-person connections at her workplace. “We run in-person problem-solving events and spend a lot of time with the employees who work with the equipment,” she notes. “We spend as much time as we can on the floor.”

A newcomer to the DLE, Claire was introduced last December by her boss, Tracy Bassette, a fellow member, who invited her to a DLE event. Claire joined the DLE soon after with the goal of seeking out more professional development and networking opportunities.

“My whole family is from Maine, so I’m very much a transplant to this area. I don’t know a lot of people in Western Massachusetts, so I thought it would be great to get to know more people around me and network with them,” Claire says. 

“I want to improve my skills in networking with managers and executives. I feel really good about building rapport with frontline team members. I want to have that same confidence when interacting with leaders,” Claire shares.

Outside of the workplace, Claire enjoys multiple hobbies to help her unwind after a long work week. Her favorites are creative writing and amigurumi, a Japanese style of crocheting. Claire has invested in her interest in creative writing, receiving her MFA in professional writing from Southern New Hampshire University in 2023.

In 2025, Claire plans to continue expanding her network and to grow professionally. Recently, she received a certification that will allow her to utilize a statistics tool. As one of only two people at the Crane Currency site with this certification, Claire sees this as an opportunity to further succeed within the workplace this year. She looks forward to also utilizing the skills that she learns from the DLE to help foster this professional growth.