Year:  2nd year graduate student

Major:  Mechanical Engineering

Minors:  Pre-med minor as an
Undergraduate at Drexel University

Concentration:  Biomechanical Engineering

Advisor:  Dr. Bradley Layton

When researching colleges to attend for my undergraduate degree, I was looking for a technical institution.  Growing up, I had always had an interest in math and science. I was looking for a school that not only catered to these areas, but a school that would provide me with the guidance to eventually channel my different interests into a career.  I felt that Drexel’s co-op program would be a great opportunity to learn what different careers are available to engineers. I loved the idea of gaining professional experience while still in school.  I was also comforted by the fact that if I went into a professional environment and decided that I had chosen the wrong area of study, I could change my major before wasting years obtaining the “wrong” degree.  Mechanical engineering sounded particularly interesting to me because it is a very broad field.  There are many different scientific areas that can benefit from advances in mechanical engineering.

As an undergraduate at Drexel University, I was able to partake in a several different research experiences, including two of my three co-ops and also a summer internship at Baylor College of Medicine (in which I was supported by Drexel University College of Engineering). I really enjoyed the creative freedom and critical thinking that accompanied these research experiences, and in the process I learned more about myself.  I discovered that I like the challenges and rewards that accompany working in a field that asks more questions than one could possibly answer in a lifetime. My senior year of college I decided that I’d like to continue my education beyond my bachelor degree and further explore different research areas.    

Continuing at Drexel University for graduate school was the obvious choice for me because of all the wonderful experiences that I have had at Drexel as an undergraduate, both inside and outside of the classroom. I’ve found that Drexel’s faculty and staff are very helpful to their students, and they are willing to go out of their way to ensure that each student at Drexel is getting the most from his/her educational experience. Also, while working on my bachelor degree, I was able to witness first hand some of the different research projects in which Drexel’s faculty were involved.  I was not only very impressed by the broad range of projects taking place at Drexel, but also Drexel’s involvement with “cutting edge” technologies such as nanomanipulation and plasma engineering.