Location
Perrysburg, OH
About
Birthday:
March 31
School / Work Affiliation:
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
About Me:
I'm an undergraduate student in chemical engineering at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, expecting to graduate in May 2015. Currently, I'm completing the second semester of my sophomore year at Swansea University in Wales. When I return to the US, I'll be moving to Texas for a couple months to work as an intern for LyondellBasell at their largest refinery in Houston. Previously, I researched at the University of Alabama through the National Science Foundation's Research Experience for Undergraduates work program. I optimized c. tyrobutyricum's production of butanol by approximately 400% and presented the results at the national AIChE conference in October 2012 where I won the Harry West award for best petrochemical and fuel poster. Around this same time, I recognized my calling to the field of engineering education. I want to change how it's taught within universities and colleges internationally. Currently, students who are passionate about engineering drop out because physics, math, and chemistry of the first few years of study deter them while successful students discover they don't like engineering once they reach hands-on project courses in their last few years of study. To help change this, I have become involved within the Big Beacon movement and Junior Enterprise movement. I am the president of the first Junior Enterprise in the United States which is located at the University of Illinois. I'm also a Engineering Learning Assistant to help teach a class for freshmen engineers while providing them with project-based learning. I maintain a website where I post thoughts to help people critically consider the current state of engineering education. I would love to connect with more people within STEM education and hear their thoughts on education of all types.
