Oregon State University
Ecological Engineering Student
Pursuing a degree in ecological engineering — with a minor in environmental engineering — is a natural extension of Katelin Godwin’s upbringing and lifelong awareness of the fragility of the natural world and her sense of obligation to protect it.
A team of researchers from the College of Engineering was recently awarded a patent (US 20200321948A1) for technology related to ultra-low-voltage circuits that could someday find its way into a variety of useful products, such as wearable electronics that run without batteries.
When Glencora Borradaile was starting out as a young assistant professor at Oregon State University, they worked long hours — teaching classes, writing grants, and conducting research — all with the goal of making tenure.
“I was really stressed out by work,” said Borradaile, who uses gender-neutral pronouns. “I was also unhappy about the state of the world, and climate change was really bumming me out.”
Four faculty in the Oregon State University College of Engineering have received prestigious early-career investigator awards from the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research. Erica Fischer, Kelsey Stoerzinger, and Rebecca Hutchinson are recipients of the Faculty Early Career Development, or CAREER, award from the NSF. Meagan Wengrove is the recipient of a Young Investigator Program award from the ONR.
One of seven siblings, Blessed Ndlovu grew up without electricity or running water in rural Zimbabwe, a landlocked nation in southern Africa with over 15 million people in an area roughly 1.5 times the size of Oregon. In Ndlovu’s small village, opportunities were limited. Subsistence farming was the norm.
Our faculty are the heart of the College of Engineering’s pursuit of excellence. These are the people in whom our research and education missions live and breathe. Not only are the college’s faculty shaping the future by driving discovery and innovation — in the areas of artificial intelligence, robotics, advanced manufacturing, clean water, materials science, renewable energy, and many others — they are teaching and mentoring tomorrow’s leaders. Above all, faculty excellence fosters student success.
Jill Lewis (’11 B.S., Mechanical Engineering) didn’t set out to work at SpaceX, or even work in aerospace, but her experiences at Oregon State led her there.
Like many engineers, Lewis had an early interest in technology. As a child, she got her parents to take her to garage sales, where she found items like tripods and radios to play with. So, science and engineering were on her mind when she was planning for college.
