Profile Placement: Community
Supratim Das
Junli Hao
Angelique Scarpa
Lisa Volpatti
Emma Yee
Stephon Henry-Rerrie ’19
Jesse Hinricher ’19
Jesse Hinricher ’19
Advisors: Dr. Barry Johnston (academic); Dr. Fikile Brushett (research)
10-Eng concentration: Materials Process and Design
Why did you decide on course 10?
In high school, I was fortunate to take AP Chemistry with a fantastic teacher, Mr. Dulas, who inspired my love of chemistry. Also, growing up on a farm, I wanted to continue using my hands to build productive equipment. Chemical engineering was the natural choice for me. It combined the technical skills I sought with the practicality to turn an idea into reality. When I transferred to MIT, I chose to continue majoring in chemical engineering because I knew it would give me a rigorous and flexible background that I can build on in graduate school. Generally, chemical engineering prepares students equally well for graduate school or industry. Chemical engineering is a versatile degree that equips graduates to have a long and fruitful career in whatever they choose.
What attracted you to 10-ENG?
As a transfer student, I wanted to both graduate in a reasonable amount of time and have a broad undergraduate experience that I could refer back to for many years. Before coming to MIT, I took a year away from school to work for a solar technology startup in Silicon Valley. While there, I was exposed to many aspects of materials science and engineering. I hoped to have the opportunity to study more of the concepts I worked with in my job when I came to MIT. I was happy to learn of 10-ENG and made a quick decision to pursue it. I was attracted to the diversity of courses that could fill the requirements and was confident that I could find something to interest me; indeed, almost everything that fills the 10-ENG requirements I wanted to take!
How was your experience designing your curriculum?
I was fortunate to have an idea of which track I wanted to pursue by the time I transferred to MIT. I was glad at the breadth of classes that could fill the 10-ENG requirements and created a list of classes that interested me. I met with my 10-ENG advisor and he recommended which courses made a coherent theme. I wanted to learn about electrochemistry and gain a foundational understanding of Course 3, Materials Science and Engineering. I chose to take 3.012, 3.014, 3.07, 10.426, and 10.467 to fulfill my requirements. This combination of courses allowed me to experience Course 3 and learn about electrochemistry and energy storage technology; all while making progress toward my degree.
What are you doing now? Did 10-ENG help you with your career or personal growth?
As a graduating senior, I am in the process of deciding which graduate school I will attend next year. I will pursue energy storage technologies that I learned more about by taking classes in my 10-ENG track. 10-ENG gave me the ability to take classes that I otherwise would not have; these classes sharpened my passion for energy storage and expanded my comfort zone.
Do you think 10-ENG is beneficial for undergrads?
I think undergraduates who are interested in a range of topics or fields will benefit from the flexibility of this major. Allowing undergraduates to tailor our major to fit our interests, or to explore areas that we would not otherwise be able to lets us take an active role in our education. We, as undergraduates, still get the core of chemical engineering, 10.10, 10.213, 10.301, 10.302, and 10.37, but we can choose labs and electives to make us more well-rounded or specialized on a certain topic.
David Christopher Rich ’19
David Christopher Rich ’19
10-Eng Concentration: Materials Process and Design
Why did you decide on course 10?
I have always been interested in the medical sciences in general, but never really had any desire to be just a doctor. I wanted to better understand the chemical basis for human health, and I believed that chemical engineering would be a rigorous and interesting way to get a foundation in that knowledge.
What attracted you to 10-ENG?
I worked in a lab as a UROP that focused on the use of nanoparticles for drug delivery. I was heavily inspired by this work, and sought out classes that would fill in the gaps in my knowledge from this research experience. I found that getting a better understanding of materials would be necessary to be able to fully appreciate the research being done. This led me to eventually switch into 10-ENG.
How was your experience designing your curriculum?
It was sometimes a moving target, finding classes that would both be interesting and that would fit into my schedule. But in the end there was a great number of options available to the various concentrations, and the flexibility offered by the department helped settle on something ultimately fulfilling.
What are you doing now?
I now have plans to go to graduate school and pursue graduate studies at the intersection of materials science, chemical engineering, and human health.
Do you think 10-ENG is beneficial for undergrads?
I absolutely do! 10B is a well-established example of “concentrating” in something on top of the already-established engineering curriculum, so why not give students the opportunity to concentrate in other topics as well? I think it’s a great opportunity for students to explore the things they find most interesting.
Sarah M. Coleman ’19
Sarah M. Coleman ’19
Chemical Engineering
How did you decide on Course X for your undergrad major?
I knew that I was interested in Chemical Engineering ever since my IB chemistry class junior year of high school. During one of our lab days, we got to synthesize aspirin. While it was very impure and probably would have killed you if ingested, it was my first experience with chemical synthesis and I just thought it was the coolest thing ever. I asked my teacher what career I could have involving synthesis of these chemicals and she told me about Chemical Engineering. I went home and googled more about what ChemEs do, and I’ve been set on it as my major ever since!
How would you describe your experience so far in Course X?
Course X has been the most challenging and rewarding experience of my life to date. I’ve met great classmates and lifelong friends, learned about the world we live in in a way I never could’ve imagined, and challenged myself to do things I didn’t think I was capable of. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and work with professors at the top of their fields, travel around for ChemE conferences, and connect with inspiring classmates, faculty, staff, and graduate students.
What are your plans post-graduation?
After graduation, I am looking to pursue a PhD in Chemical Engineering, most likely in a biological-related field. After I graduate with my PhD, I would love to go back into the biopharmaceutical industry where I’ve done my internships, most likely in some sort of process development role.
How has your MIT ChemE experience helped you follow your goals/passions?
One of my favorite things about MIT ChemE is our student club, AIChE (American Institute of Chemical Engineers). I met the company I interned with last summer through the Industrial Networking Series they organize, and with it discovered my passion for biopharmaceutical process development. As president of the club, I’ve had lots of opportunities for personal growth as a leader and to help bring together the ChemE community, one of my personal goals.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
If you’re interested in Chemical Engineering, be sure to check out the advising seminars, 10.00, or our FPOP! I’ve been involved with FPOP planning for the past three iterations and it’s always my favorite time of year.
