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Topics:
Where are you from?
Connecticut
What school do you go to? What year are you?
University of Connecticut (UConn), Senior (4th Year Student)
Do you hold any positions in your AIChE chapter or with AIChE nationally?
Past President, Senior Representative, Executive Student Committee (ESC) Chair
Describe an event in your chapter that you are most proud to have been involved with.
It is an annual tradition for UConn AIChE to host Research Night. During this event, students and faculty come together to talk about their passions for research. During the first half of the event, faculty present about the research they conduct and what types of work they would like undergraduate help with. In the second half, students have the opportunity to network with these faculty members to see if they would be a good fit in one of these research groups. This event has always been extremely successful for our chapter. It is absolutely wonderful seeing how the initial connections made during this event blossom into something greater throughout the academic year.
What are your plans after graduation? In what field are you most interested in having an impact?
After graduation, I will be working for Unilever in Research and Development. I have always wanted to work on creating new and better products that I can see on store shelves worldwide.
In the future, I hope to work directly with food and eventually go into management. Coming into chemical engineering, I was not sure exactly what I wanted to focus on. There are a wide variety of options from petroleum engineering to process engineering to management that a chemical engineer could pursue. AIChE helped me discover that I could work on researching and manufacturing food as a chemical engineer. Growing up, food has always been an important part of my life. It has the power to showcase tradition and diversity while bringing people together. On the other hand, there are millions of people throughout the world who worry about whether or not they will have food to put on their table. As chemical engineers, we have the opportunity to change the world by changing what we do with food.
Furthermore, my love for leadership and working with a diverse group of people in the Executive Student Committee has inspired me to pursue a management track in the future. I hope to motivate others to reach their full potential by finding their passions in their career.
What is it about chemical engineering that you’re most passionate about?
I am most passionate about the opportunities chemical engineers have to make a difference in the world. With so many fields available for our profession, we can touch the lives of everyone around us in some way. This is a great power and responsibility we have as chemical engineers.
How do you think your experience within your AIChE Student Chapter will impact your career and professional goals?
AIChE has helped me to see my own potential and has inspired me to be more than I ever thought was possible. As students, it is easy to see your own world as the whole world. However, being a part of AIChE can expand your horizons and help you see problems in an entirely different light. I truly believe that being a part of AIChE can make any chemical engineer, student or professional, a more well-rounded individual who sees the profession as a chance to make a difference.
How do you blow off steam and keep your sanity between classes, homework and projects?
I enjoy cooking! As a food science minor, I see chemistry and engineering when I make a new dish. I like to solve small, everyday problems in the kitchen. When my cookies won't rise or when my meat doesn't brown like I expect, I love to ask myself "why?" So, even when I am not studying chemical engineering, I am thinking like a chemical engineer.
What is the best kept secret on your campus?
I am a resident assistant. Outside of my chemical engineering life, I enjoy helping my residents be the best they can be and crafting (of course). I am also a Writing Center tutor. Chemical engineers don't always have to just enjoy math and science, they can also be inspired by words and writing.
What are you most looking forward to after graduation?
I am looking forward to being an adult! Being a student is fun, but I am looking forward to a new chapter of my life.
I also look forward to inspiring younger students, particularly girls, to pursue engineering. I believe it is our responsibility to give back to society and help encourage a new generation of engineers to pursue the field.
Do you have any advice to incoming students and underclassmen ChEs around the world?
Work hard, play hard! Enjoy college while it lasts: make new friends, get to know people outside of your major, and try something that you normally would not have tried. Most important though is to take classes outside of your major. You never know what you might enjoy or what might change your career path for the better.
How would you like to be involved with AIChE after graduation?
I would like to be a part of the Young Professionals after graduation and continue to mentor the Executive Student Committee leaders in the future.
You can reach Holly through her Facebook page or her LinkedIn account.