Why Cornell?
I chose to pursue my chemical engineering degree at Cornell University for a few reasons. The first was that I was impressed by the excellent scholarship and academics of the school. My main goal going into college was and still is to learn as much as possible to prepare myself for future endeavors, and not just in chemical engineering. Cornell provides a place where I can receive an amazing technical education while having profound access to academic opportunities in any field. Another reason is that is the research projects of the faculty excited me. I believe that they are truly pushing towards advancing science and bettering society. Finally, I chose Cornell because its location suits my lifestyle and interests. I love being outdoors doing activities like mountain biking, hiking, and skiing, and Cornell has allowed me to continue pursuing these hobbies. I think that I can safely say I have explored almost all that there is to in the Ithaca area and beyond.
Leadership Positions?
This past year, I was the Solar Sub-Team lead for Cornell University Solar Boat Project Team. Solar Boat is a competition-based project team where the goal is to create a boat that is as fast, maneuverable, and long-lasting, while being powered by batteries charged from an onboard solar panel. In addition, within CBE, I am happy to be serving as a teaching assistant for CHEME 6660, Sustainable Energy Systems this fall. Finally, I was named a Kessler Fellow, which is an entrepreneurial program within Chemical Engineering. This program allows me to develop my entrepreneurial knowledge and skills through specific classes. As well as an internship with a startup over the summer surrounded by 19 other innovative and like-minded students.
Major Accomplishments as a Leader?
During the Solar Boat project, I successfully lead the preparation of the solar panel system for our team to attend competition for the first time since 2020. I was happy with the results, and that I could help the younger members of the team learn new skills and prepare to take on leadership roles in the future.
I have also had a lot of involvement with research on campus, which was one of them main reasons why I was excited to come to Cornell. I have worked on aluminum-ion batteries in the Archer Lab, and more recently, on biomass conversion techniques in the Tester Lab. This experience has been invaluable in learning about and contributing to future technologies that could help to make our world more sustainable. As well as, helping me to develop my scientific thinking and laboratory skills.
Finally, I am pleased with my experience in the Kessler Fellows Program. I believe that the program has allowed me to learn more about what it truly takes to be an entrepreneur, and that it has allowed me to significantly contribute to a startup in the clean energy space.
Advice for Future Leaders?
My advice for future leaders centers around organization, feedback, and motivation. The single most critical factor that I have found that contributes to the success of a team is how well the leader can stay organized with the goals and current tasks. As a leader, you cannot procrastinate because it not only slows down your own work but also completely hinders the efforts of your team. I also think that it is important to always listen to members of your team and actively seek feedback about your own abilities. It may be tempting to see your position as the one to hand down judgements and directions, but you must always be looking for ways to improve and objectively consider your own performance. Finally, you simply cannot accomplish a large project on your own, and if you cannot successfully find what you need to motivate your team, then you will not meet your goals. It is imperative to find what drives the people that you are working with. If you do not understand their motivations, then you cannot effectively push them to contribute at their highest level.
Post-Graduation Goals?
My ultimate goal post-graduation is to eventually start or lead my own company that works to help shape the energy transition, reduce waste, or generally improve the human condition. I genuinely love to learn new things, and I want to always be building my skills and knowledge. I am driven to deeply understand not only the chemical engineering concepts that will make a business like this a reality, but the business acumen necessary to make it succeed.
Favorite Olin Hall Memory?
We were sitting in thermodynamics recitation one afternoon, and we had encountered a particularly tough exercise problem. The unlucky group that was chosen to present the problem went up to the board and attempted to present what could be a viable method of reaching the solution, but no one in the class exactly knew how to solve the problem. After about 30 minutes of struggling as a class to come up with something, out pops a full volume, unmistakable, “Brrrring, bum bum bum bum bim bum” of the Clash Royale startup. Immediately, the entire class burst out laughing, and I think we all collectively felt the sentiment captured from the juxtaposition of that sound and the enduring struggle of our problems.
Every day that I walk into Olin Hall, I make memories like these. I am excited to learn new things from my professors and peers, and I am always looking forward to the laughs that my friends will bring. In my mind, Olin Hall exists as a center of the struggle towards knowledge but also as a place where I can feel a strong sense of camaraderie and connection to those around me, and I think that is what captures what it is to be a Cornell ChemE.