Education:
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2019, Rowan University My Story: I grew up spending summers with my family on Long Beach Island, and like many other NJ natives the shore has always been my favorite place to be. I have so many good memories boating in the bay, visiting the Barnegat Lighthouse, and swimming in the ocean when everyone else complained it was too cold. As I’ve grown older, I have started visiting the parks and wetlands along the coast and learning about how they affect various natural systems and processes. Until recently, I never thought about how I could turn my love for the coast into a career. I graduated from Rowan University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering. Along the way I was fortunate to spend a summer studying in Berlin, Germany, where I first learned about the general idea of “engineering with nature” in the context of using green roofs and public parks to help control stormwater and reduce heat in the city. Since graduating I’ve worked a couple jobs in mechanical design, but I consistently found myself wanting to focus my work on the outside world instead of spending every day in an office with my work completely isolated from nature. After some googling I learned about the field of Coastal Engineering, specifically as it pertained to Living Shorelines. It was a major revelation for me that I could combine my lifelong desire to be near the ocean with an interesting and impactful engineering career. I am so excited to begin my graduate studies with Jon Miller’s research group at Stevens, so I can advance my own engineering and research skills while contributing to building a more resilient and sustainable New Jersey shore. |