Isabel Kaspriskie ’19

Isabel Kaspriskie ’19
Chemical Engineering & Music, Computer Science Minor

How did you decide on Course X for your undergrad major?

I grew up in the town where Thomas Edison had his laboratories and I also share a birthday with Nikola Tesla, so it’s always felt right to me that I wanted to invent and create new things. I have always liked to build and solve puzzles, and math and science were my favorite subjects. I knew I wanted to be an engineer and I liked chemistry in high school, so chemical engineering seemed natural. I also knew that Course X held a lot of options for post-graduation paths, so I didn’t feel pigeonholed into a career from the get-go.

How would you describe your experience so far in Course X?

I met some of my best friends through the smaller class size of Course X, something I feel I would have missed in some of the larger departments at MIT. The professors take their time to get to know you in the department here. The coursework is challenging, but the kind of problem solving I’ve learned in ChemE has been applicable in all sorts of ways I wouldn’t have expected going in. I’ve done externships and internships in a wide range of fields, and feeling confident that I can go into a problem and find some way to get a useful answer is a good feeling.

What are your plans post-graduation?

I most enjoy computational problems, and I’ve loved working on software projects in and out of classes. I recently worked at edX, the online education nonprofit started out of MIT, and I loved helping to make tools that help people across the globe! After graduation, I’m planning on working as a software engineer to get some industry experience before making decisions about whether I want to go to graduate school and what I’d want to focus on there.

How has your MIT ChemE experience helped you follow your goals/passions?

My favorite things about MIT ChemE are also the things that best helped me follow my goals. Being able to interact with faculty, getting to know my classmates, and becoming a confident problem solver are all amazing benefits. Growing into someone who’s confident in problem solving means I am less afraid of diving into new things without any previous experience. For example, I wasn’t afraid of following a passion for software engineering and doing technical interviews without ever taking a CS course. That kind of confidence has helped me find what really excites me and makes me feel like I’m making a positive difference in the world.

Is there anything else you’d like to share?

Chemical engineering is such a broad field that you can truly do anything with it. Whether you’re more interested in problems in biology or mathematics or chemistry, whether you want to work in a lab or at a plant or in an office, chemical engineering is a way for you to be prepared for what you decide to do.

Mariah Hoover, ’08, ’12

Mariah Hoover set out to be a chemical engineer because she wanted her work to make a difference in people’s lives. In her short career, Mariah has done a lot. After her bachelor’s, she worked on air fresheners in England. The appeal? “Consumer products have a quick turnaround. You can work on something, and see it in the grocery store 6 months later,” she says. Next, she helped clean up a chemical weapons site in Washington, D.C., work that really drew upon her training as a chemical engineer. “We had to figure out how to find the weapons in the ground, and to calculate exposure risks dermally, from inhalation, and long-term,” she says. “It was really exciting.”

During her Master’s degree, Mariah worked at Novartis in San Francisco, her first foray into pharmaceuticals despite her emphasis on biology as an undergrad, as well as at Cabot, a chemical company. Her next step? “I’m working for Shell Oil,” she says. “I’ll be working on introducing new technologies into refineries across North America. I can’t wait to get started.”

Akshar Wunnava, ’14, ’15

Why did you decide on Course X for your undergrad?

The three big reasons that led me to choose Course X were research, skill set, and the department itself.

After conducting research on climate modeling in high school, I came to MIT with the intent of focusing on energy studies. I found that Course X had several professors conducting research relevant to a wide array of energy applications (virus batteries/solar cells, energy storage, carbon capture and sequestration, enhanced oil/gas recovery, etc.). So no matter which sector of energy I wished to focus on down the road, I knew chemical engineering would not only be applicable, but also highly useful.

In my first year, I participated in a UROP in the Strano Lab on thermopower waves. This experience exposed me to how chemical engineering concepts can be applied to study a system. In particular, I felt that chemical engineering provides the technical know-how to focus on solving problems at the molecular scale, while maintaining an overall systems-level view of how all the pieces fit together in a process. This is an approach that is very useful not just in chemical engineering, but in any industry or field.

Through my UROP, I also found out about Monday-afternoon research seminars where I learned more about research in chemical engineering, and also got a better feel for how the department is structured. The size of the ChemE Department was just right for me – not so big that it’s easy to get lost or hard to develop a rapport with professors, but at the same time, not so small that you feel limited in the opportunities the department has to offer. Since each undergrad class (~50-70 students) takes all the core classes together, I felt that the structure would really allow me to develop a core group of peers and lifelong friends.

…and I never once regretted my decision!

What attracted you to 10-ENG?

My main goal when I came to MIT was to learn as much as I could about energy, which I knew would require an interdisciplinary approach. I learned about energy economics and policy through majoring in Course XIV (Economics) and minoring in Public Policy. When it came to developing a technical skill-set, I knew that I liked the way chemical engineers think about problems. However, I would be lying if I said only chemical engineers had a unique perspective. Since solving the energy crisis of our day is going to require diversity of thought, I wanted to interact with and learn from my peers in different departments as well. When I learned about 10-ENG, I thought it presented an interesting opportunity to take classes in other departments and learn about how our friends in MechE, MatSci, or Physics (and others) solve problems and think about energy. I jumped at the opportunity and was the first student to sign up for 10-ENG. Of course, I concentrated in Energy Studies, which had the added benefit of being advised by Prof. Robert Armstrong, the Director of the MIT Energy Initiative.

For anyone interested in Energy Studies, I highly recommend looking into the Energy Minor as well (http://mitei.mit.edu/education/energy-minor).

How was your experience in designing your own program?

I am extremely satisfied with the 10-ENG program I designed for myself, with help from my advisor. Since I was a part of the inaugural class of 10-ENG, the department was also figuring out how the program should be structured. The electives offered within each concentration were quite varied and numerous. For example, within the Energy concentration, I took classes from global change science to electrochemical energy storage to the Physics of Energy (I highly recommend this one!). Since there were so many courses that I was interested in, it was not difficult to schedule in enough classes to fulfill the requirements without conflicts. The only difficult part was choosing only 6-7 classes out of all the options. The advising for 10-ENG is very good, because the areas of expertise of all the advisors are closely aligned with the interests of the students. I was able to talk to Prof. Armstrong very openly not only about which classes I wanted to take, but also about my research and career ambitions.

What are you doing now? Did 10-ENG help you with your career or personal growth?

10-ENG helped me expand my network of peers who were interested in energy beyond just Course X. Through these friendships, I became quite involved with the MIT Energy Club and eventually served as one of its Co-Presidents. Through these experiences and from mentorship from Prof. Armstrong, I also worked on two start-ups during my time at MIT. The first aimed to develop bacterial batteries for off-grid lighting applications in Indian villages, which involved working closely with biological engineers. The second was developing bicycle-powered battery chargers for use in LED lanterns in off-grid Indian villages, which involved working with mechanical and electrical engineers.

After finishing my undergrad in 2014, I stayed an additional year for the Masters in Chemical Engineering Practice (mainly because I just wan not’t ready to leave MIT or Course X!). This was a phenomenal program and the industrial component in the end really showed me how valuable it was to have diversity of thought. In the real world, you are no longer working with only chemical engineers. So, it is advantageous to be able to communicate effectively with engineers from different disciplines, for which I think 10-ENG prepares you well.

After my time at MIT, I wanted to combine all of the skills I had learned from engineering to economics and policy, but still wanted to explore the energy industry as a whole. So, I decided to start my career in consulting at McKinsey & Company, in their Houston office.

Do you think 10-ENG would be beneficial for MIT and Course X undergrads?

I think 10-ENG and flexible degree programs in general add a lot to MIT and offer a lot of benefits for undergrads. First, it allows for cross-pollination of knowledge across the engineering disciplines. Meeting other students across the Institute is possibly one of the best learning experiences at MIT. Second, if you know you are interested in a particular field, like energy, environmental science, biomedical sciences, or materials science, then 10-ENG would allow you to develop expertise in that area, more so than would the regular degree program. Especially with the accreditation of 10-ENG, there really is no downside to 10-ENG if you are passionate about your concentration.

Do you have any other thoughts about your personal 10-ENG path or the program in general?

One of the most common questions people ask about 10-ENG is the designation of the degree. The regular Course X SB degree reads “Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering”, while the 10-ENG degree reads “Bachelor of Science in Engineering as recommended by the Department of Chemical Engineering”. I’ll be honest – this was one of my major concerns when I was considering the program. However, after talking to numerous professors and employers themselves, I can safely say that no one really bothers with the name of the degree. They care about what classes you take and what you learn. For example, if you are a 10-ENG student concentrating in Energy Studies, then your academic course work is more suited to the needs of an employer in the energy industry. So, it really is an advantage when it comes to finding jobs within your concentration.

The second thing I hear about 10-ENG is that it is a way to get out of taking some of the Course X requirements. If this is the case, one should think hard about why he/she is Course X in the first place. 10-ENG is right for only those students who are passionate about their concentration and are fairly certain that they want to pursue either work or further studies in that concentration. In this situation, 10-ENG can be an extremely rewarding and enriching experience. Choosing 10-ENG was by far one of the most impactful academic decisions I have made and I am quite thankful the program was created.

Rosanna Lim ’13, ’16

Entering Year: 2011
Undergraduate University: University of California, Berkeley

Thesis Advisors: Robert E. Cohen and Michael F. Rubner
Thesis Title: Strategies of Attaching Polyelectrolyte Multilayers to Cells and the Implications on Cell Behavior
Practice School Stations: Cabot Corporation (Billerica, MA), Novartis (San Carlos, CA)

Why I chose the PhDCEP Program

When I was an undergraduate, I was debating between getting a PhD or working in industry followed by business school. I want to work at the interface of business and technology, perhaps holding a management or business development role in a technical company. Thus, the combination of work experience and business school seemed like a logical path for me. However, during my internships, I realized that the people in more senior, managerial positions had doctoral degrees. I felt that having a PhD would open more doors for me, but getting a doctoral and MBA separately would mean too much time in school. When I stumbled upon the PhDCEP program in my graduate school search, I felt like it was the program of my dreams. It had the research experience and business aspect that I wanted, all together in one program.

Work experience and activities

As an undergraduate, I gained some research experience as an undergraduate researcher in the laboratory of Professor Maboudian. My summer internships at Genentech (2010) and Genencor (2011) gave me experience working in biotechnology, both for healthcare and industrial biotech. I also gained some teaching experience as an undergraduate teaching assistant for an organic chemistry class. During my undergraduate years, I was very involved in my sorority, Gamma Phi Beta, and was a member of Tau Beta Pi and AIChE. In my free time, I began running outside as a hobby and ran the Nike Women’s Half Marathon in San Francisco. I also enjoy traveling and experiencing new places.

Catherine Bartlett Matthews

Entering Year: 2014
Undergraduate University: Princeton University

Thesis Advisor: J. Chris Love
Thesis Title: Design of a cultivation medium for protein production in Pichia pastoris based on genome-wide biological understanding.

Why I chose the PhDCEP Program

I’m interested in solving problems at the intersection of science and business and hope to embark on a career working on products that result directly from scientific innovations. MIT’s CEP program offers a unique opportunity to do engineering research and take business classes, providing excellent preparation for roles that require both skill sets.

Work experience and activities

While an undergraduate, I worked on research projects in computational protein design with Professor Chris Floudas and neural network dynamics with Professor Yannis Kevrekidis. I completed a summer internship with ExxonMobil’s Fuels Marketing group in 2011. After graduation I joined The Boston Consulting Group, where I worked on 7 client projects over 2 years across a variety of industries and functional areas. Highlights include designing a vertical integration strategy for a medical device manufacturer, diagnosing supply chain service levels and identifying causes of late orders for a biopharmaceutical manufacturer, and evaluating investment strategies to combat febrile illness for a nonprofit global health foundation. In my free time I enjoy cooking, sailing, and traveling.

Alan Long

Entering Year: 2015
Undergraduate University: Case Western Reserve University (CWRU)

Thesis Advisor: William H. Green
Thesis Title: Natural Gas Combustion – Mechanism Generation for Elevated Pressures
Practice School Stations: Takeda Pharmaceutical (Osaka, Japan), General Mills (Minneapolis, MN)

Why I chose the PhD CEP program

An internship I had with an adhesives startup after my first year at CWRU seeded my interest in entrepreneurship and was a large part of my motivation for applying to and joining the PhD CEP program. While I am open-minded to a wide range of career paths, what I like most about the small startup scenario is the high degree of influence each member has on the company’s future and direction, plus the excitement that brings. I believe the PhD CEP program is giving me a unique skillset necessary to be successful in such roles that require a strong technical background and management perspective in tandem.

Work experience and activities

As an undergraduate, I gained research experience working in Professor Rohan Akolkar’s electrochemical engineering lab, and in Professor João Maia’s rheology lab. My initial industry experience came from two summers with Procter & Gamble in their paper products division as well as one summer with an adhesives startup, Bioformix (now Sirrus Chemistry).  Through practice school stations I have been exposed to both the pharmaceutical and food industries, and have gained a unique look at international business through the Osaka station. In my free time, I enjoy golfing, hiking, powerlifting, skiing, and milkshakes. I also currently serve as a graduate residence tutor (GRT) here at MIT.

Larissa Kunz ’15

Graduation Year: 2015

Why did you decide on Course X for your undergrad?

Going into undergrad, I was very interested in alternative energy, particularly alternative fuels. Having enjoyed chemistry, physics, and especially math courses in high school, I decided that Course X would be a good means of pursuing these interests and preparing myself for a career in fuels. To be honest, I did not know what chemical engineering was, but given that Course X graduates wind up going into a wide variety of different fields, I decided ChemE would give me a solid background even if my career goals were to change significantly.

What attracted you to 10-ENG?

I participated in the MITEI pre-orientation program DELTA, through which I learned about the energy studies minor and flexible degrees like 2-A. I wanted to learn about developments in energy research and decided to pursue an energy studies minor. 10-Eng was a new program at the time and was not particularly well-known. When I found out about 10-ENG at a Course X department overview session a couple months later, I realized that this program could help me better integrate my interest in energy into my ChemE coursework in addition to pursuing the energy studies minor. When the program became ABET accredited a year later, I decided to do it; naturally, I chose a concentration in energy. I hoped that this integration of an energy focus into my Course X coursework would teach me how to apply the skills and knowledge gained from a ChemE background to contemporary energy issues.

How was your experience in designing your own program?

The flexibility allowed by designing much of my own program enabled me to take courses I might not have been able to fit in as well otherwise. At the start of my first year, I looked through the MIT course catalog, course descriptions provided by MITEI, and Course 10 degree paths in order to put together a preliminary 4-year plan. As both my interests and some of the courses offered changed from year to year, I deviated from the original plan, but it nonetheless helped me easily organize my program and ensure I was meeting all requirements. My advisor, Professor Armstrong, helped me make a number of decisions about these deviations by making sure I know about new courses being offered and sharing his knowledge and opinions about the topics covered in certain courses.

What are you doing now? Did 10-ENG help you with your career or personal growth?

I am now participating in the Course X M.S.CEP program. While doing 10-ENG gave me a better understanding of progress and limitations in the energy industry, I still took many of the same classes as those students doing straight X; while I was originally concerned that deviating from the traditional ChemE coursework might present a disadvantage in the M.S.CEP program, I have not found this to be an issue. Instead, the more flexible degree enabled me to focus more on my interest in energy, and I look forward to applying my improved understanding of problems in energy to my future research and/or work in industry.

Do you think Course 10-ENG would be beneficial for MIT and Course X undergrads?

I would recommend 10-ENG to anyone with a strong interest in one of the 10-ENG concentrations, especially if you want to take a relatively large number of courses in that concentration area or if you are fairly certain that you want to pursue a career in that field. The concentrations are broad enough that you do not narrow in your career options, in my opinion; instead it helps you shift your knowledge and skill set towards the interdisciplinary field you are interested in.

Do you have any other thoughts about your personal 10-ENG path or the program in general?

Putting together a plan – or more accurately several potential plans – for all of my undergraduate courses wound up being really helpful in making decisions about my program along the way. Between that and the help of my advisor and a couple other professors I had, putting together my 10-ENG program wound up being easy, and the program was a very positive experience and has opened a lot of doors for me.