The Second Power: UTC twins take on D.C. internships

Riley Rutherford wears a red shirt next to Kate Rutherford wearing black. They are turning around to face a camera behind them while sitting in a Broadway theater.

Riley Rutherford (left) and Kate Rutherford traveled to New York City during their time in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of Riley Rutherford.

Originally from the two-stoplight town of Erin, Tennessee, twin sisters and University of Tennessee at Chattanooga students Kate and Riley Rutherford spent the summer in Washington, D.C.

Both juniors and Brock Scholars in the UTC Honors College, they followed different paths to the same city.

Kate, a civil engineering student in the College of Engineering and Computer Science, participated in the Washington Internships for Students of Engineering (WISE) program. Riley, a political science major with a concentration in public law and a minor in English, completed an internship related to her field while gaining firsthand experience.

Over the past year, Kate worked with civil engineering lab director Chris Frishcosy on the beneficial use of coal combustion residuals, the materials left after coal is burned. While attending a conference related to the research, she picked up a flyer for the WISE program.

WISE brings engineering students to Washington to study how public policy shapes their work. Participants complete a policy paper and presentation addressing either a policy solution to an engineering problem or an engineering solution to a policy problem.

“I’ve heard my sister talk a lot about policy,” Kate said. “I’ve also dealt with it through the beneficial-use side of things because there is a lot of policy that has to go into that. I thought it was interesting, and my sister was already going to be up there.”

After submitting essays and sitting down for an interview, Kate learned in March that she had been accepted into the two-month program.

While in D.C., she visited federal agencies, met congressional staff and spoke with professionals whose work focuses on engineering and public policy.

“When I was younger, I didn’t think engineers did anything out there,” she said, “but they do a lot in terms of research, briefing and helping write laws.”

For her research, Kate studied and wrote about building confidence in the beneficial use of coal combustion residuals.

Coal ash has traditionally been stored in landfills or ponds, but some forms can be reused in products such as concrete and wallboard. Kate’s paper researched policy approaches that could give potential buyers more confidence in using the material safely for a wider range of purposes.

“We’ve been burning coal for more than 50 years, and we’ve got a lot of this byproduct,” she said. “I wanted to outline policy ways that we could build trust in using this stuff so potential buyers can feel confident that they’re getting the product they need without safety concerns.

“You’ve got your perfect solution, and then there are all the questions of who is going to fund it, who likes it, how long it is going to take to build and what the regulations are. So much of engineering is policy.”

Riley helped Kate think through some of those questions.

“We talked a lot about how policy gets implemented and what branches of government do what,” Kate said. “I would list what my ideas were and ask, ‘Does that even make sense to somebody who has political science experience?’”

Riley said she spent the summer working in a professional environment she had learned about in UTC political science courses.

“They do a great job of making things that are really intimidating seem less intimidating,” Riley said of the department. “They helped me feel that I belonged there.”

Adolph S. Ochs Professor of Government Michelle Deardorff—one of Riley’s professors—encouraged her to keep a journal throughout the summer, which she wrote in every day.

“It forced me to highlight that there was something new and interesting every single day,” she said. “Now that I’m back and trying to tell people stories, the journal helps me remember and get the details right. It was a great way to document such a pivotal time in my life.”

The sisters lived separately during the week. Kate stayed in a residence hall at George Washington University, while Riley lived with a cousin. On weekends, Kate would travel across the city to stay with them.

Together, they visited museums and relied heavily on the city’s public transportation. They also traveled to New York City and Philadelphia, and took a day trip to Alexandria, Virginia.

Riley said she hopes to return to Washington for another internship. Kate is considering doing the same as she continues exploring engineering policy and transportation engineering.

Another pursuit is their music duo—The Second Power.

Kate and Riley began playing the ukulele at age 5 and guitar at age 8. The pair later arranged folk songs and began writing original music together.

Kate typically plays the bass chords and accompaniment, while Riley carries the melody.

“I like to say she’s the front half of the guitar and I’m the back half,” Riley said.

Their album, “The Three-Footed Fox,” was recorded in the UTC Library studio and is available on YouTube. It includes the classical and folk influences they have developed over years of playing together.