2nd Year PhD Student
Molecular Data Science (DIRECT)
Undergraduate Major and University: Chemical Engineering, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
How did you become interested in Chemical Engineering? I first became interested in ChemE from my high school chemistry course. My teacher had seen my passion for the sciences, and specifically chemistry, but I wanted to approach it from a more applied and engineering perspective, leading me to this wonderful degree.
Why did you decide to do your PhD here at UW? I decided to perform my graduate work here at the UW because the research opportunities here were boundless. In addition, the older graduate students and my peers in my cohort all are great people and the student community that is present in our department is unlike any other and I am grateful to be a part of it.
Describe an interesting opportunity you've had through UW ChemE. Being a ChemE has opened so many doors for me, even when I was an undergraduate. At my previous educational institution (WPI), I had the experience of working for a start-up R&D company, a large corporation R&D lab, an academic laboratory setting, and most recently at a national laboratory. Without the research skills, creative problem solving, and hard work ethic that ChemE has given me, I would have never been able to work in so many of these different environments. I really enjoy that ChemE has given me an opportunity to explore almost every career option, from small start-up cultures, all the way to large research universities, like the UW. I have been able to be involved in great work and opportunities while at UW, including:
Association of Chemical Engineering Graduate Students (ACES) »
Electrochemical Society Student Chapter »
Women in Chemical Engineering (WChE) »
Schwartz Research Group - Electrochemical Materials & Interfaces Lab »
What advice do you have for students considering graduate study in ChemE? Graduate school may seem tough, but it really is an extremely unique time to explore your passions and further mold future career. Whether it's continuing in research, either academia or industry, patent law, or even policy, graduate school really allows you a time to solidify these skill sets to make you a more well-rounded, and thorough scientist.