From Set Design to Aerospace Engineering
As a kid, Andy de Fonseca loved space but never considered pursuing a career in STEM. After getting degrees in theater, cinematography, and history and taking a job in marketing, Andy started...
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Mechanical Engineering Student Dancing Toward a Greener Future
(Mechanical Engineering 2nd Year)Neil John has always loved breaking things to figure out how they work. Now as a mechanical engineering major, he’s getting better at rebuilding them, too. “I spent a decent chunk of time in the...
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Preservation Rooted in Memories
(ARCH ’13, M.ENG ’15)Although she didn’t recognize it then, Allison Toonen-Talamo’s path to becoming an historic preservation leader began when she saw that in the mid-2000s, the ranches, homes, and mom-and-pop businesses...
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Inspired to Educate
(CHEM, CHE, M.S. CHEM 4th Year)In the lab of Assistant Professor of Chemistry Jean-Luc Ayitou, undergraduate researcher Will Blodgett has been working to utilize water as a solvent, a practice that, if widely adopted within...
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A Steady and Determined Approach to a Ph.D.
(M.S. MAE ’96, Ph.D. ’12)In the 1990s Illinois Institute of Technology was a pioneer in distance learning through its Interactive Instructional Television Network (IIT/V) program. Courses were filmed at campus locations and...
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Gaining Opportunity Through Research
(M.S. MAE ’09, Ph.D. ’13)For Ricardo Vinuesa, the possibility of participating in research and study groups as he progressed through his academic career provided him with a competitive advantage. “I believe that my...
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Launching a Career in Biomedical Engineering
(Biomedical Engineering/M.A.S. Chemical Engineering 3rd Year)Prior to making her decision to attend Illinois Institute of Technology, Deborah Adesina had visited Chicago a couple of times and fell in love with the city. While researching universities, Deborah...
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Improving Public Health and Fighting COVID-19 Through Design Innovation
(Engineering Management ’17)Irewole Akande grew up in Abuja, Nigeria, with big dreams of becoming an inventor. Upon graduation from high school he learned about Martin Cooper (EE ’50, M.S. ’57), the inventor of the cell phone...
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Advancing Kidney Disease Research
(CHE 2nd Year)For Abigail Gunderson, participating in student research means bringing to life topics she learns about in the classroom and integrating them into her community. “Research helps me understand what I...
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Designing the Next Generation of Prosthetics
(Biomedical Engineering 1st Year)Ever since she was 5 years old, Jennifer Sabatka (BME 1st Year) knew she wanted to be a doctor. But when her family—which is full of engineers—encouraged her to try an engineering program in high...