Department of Computer Sciences and Electrical Engineering
Alex Canfield
B.S. in Computer Science
Why did you choose Computer Science as your major?
I took my first Computer Science course in my senior year of high school. It was the first time I had ever learned about the subject, and I really enjoyed it. I had always liked math and science, so I decided to major in Computer Science because it felt like a good mix of the two.
Logan Carpenter
B.S. in Computer Science
Why did you choose Computer Science as your major?
I enrolled in my first Computer Science class when I was a junior in high school. I also took the AP Computer Science course the following year. I decided to major in Computer Science not only because I enjoyed the class, but also because there was considerably more to learn about the topic.
Emmanuel Reyme
B.S. in Computer Science
Why did you choose Computer Science as your major?
My interest in computer science started with a broken Xbox. Knowing the problem was software related, I used the resources available and begin researching possible solutions. I soon realized the solution to this small problem was beyond my scope. In order to understand the solutions surrounding the problem I decided to learn a programming language called Quick Basic at my high school. Learning Quick Basic gave me the ability to have complete control of my applications through code.
Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
Seth Tackett
B.S. in Safety Technology
Why did you choose Safety Technology as your major?
I was originally a Computer Science major and after I figured out it was mostly reading and writing code, I figured out that I couldn’t speak computer. Safety Technology was a way for me to stay within the college of Engineering and pursue a degree that I felt was challenging but rewarding. I didn’t realize how important safety was until I started doing research on OSHA and how it plays a role in our lives everyday. I figured if I can impact the workforce in some way then I’d be contributing to society to make it better.
Cadaris L. Woods
B.S. in Safety Technology
Why did you choose Safety Technology as your major?
I chose Safety Technology as my major because it is an ever-growing field that provides for a lasting and rewarding career. Marshall University’s Safety program is also accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). This means that the education provided through the program meets high standards of applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.
Corey L. Fetty
B.S. in Safety Technology
Why did you choose Safety Technology as your major?
The initial reason I chose safety technology as my major is the vast amount of opportunities available. It is a degree that has so many opportunities and does not confine me to the same every day tasks from company to company. When working in safety you don’t have a daily routine, because the challenges and tasks are constantly changing, and I enjoy the varying challenges so I can continue developing and improving throughout my entire career.
Department of Civil Engineering
Elisabeth Roberts
B.S.E. (Civil Engineering), Class of 2021
Why did you choose Civil Engineering as your major?
In middle school, I decided I wanted to be an architect so I could work on the design process of structures. Once I reached the tenth grade, my parents suggested I read about Civil Engineering because they knew my math and science classes were the classes I enjoyed the most. I specifically chose Civil Engineering because I was curious about how structures were designed, what they were made of, and who decides how the end products look. I have learned much of this process in my last three years at Marshall.
Tyler Mitchell
B.S.E. (Civil Engineering), Class of 2022
Why did you choose Civil Engineering as your major?
My journey into Civil Engineering can be traced back to time spent playing with Legos in my front living room. I have always felt drawn to the idea of creating buildings, machines, and vehicles. New Lego sets started out assembled normally using the provided instructions, and for a while I was satisfied with the results. However, I felt that I could make them better by adding to them from other sets, or sometimes completely disassembling them and creating something new entirely. As one may expect, creating something new often presented new problems. These problems are what allowed me to learn how to analyze the situation, apply problem solving techniques, and finally, use my available resources to create a solution. This interest in building and problem solving is why I chose the Civil Engineering field. Solving Lego problems has been an excellent pastime, however, Marshall’s engineering program has given me the opportunity to exceed my limits and apply new techniques to greater problems.
Farah Abu Tayeh
B.S.E. (Civil Engineering), Class of 2021
Why did you choose Civil Engineering as your major?
My dad is a retired Civil Engineer so while growing up I loved to learn and help my dad with projects he would work on. From building houses, to managing the pipe system throughout each house, and just having hands on activities I came to love it so much. A challenge is what I love most, and Civil Engineering is a huge challenge. Also being on the women’s soccer team here was a tough challenge to balance the two together. Now I can continue my dad’s legacy by creating new and better ideas in the engineering world.
Biomedical Engineering
Christoph Hart
B.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Why did you choose Biomedical Engineering as your major?
I have been interested in mathematics and physical sciences throughout my academic career and have a passion of crafts of a wide array of media (anything from woodworking and glass engraving to sewing and knitting). I knew that I wanted to incorporate my love for mathematics and understanding the world through science into my passion for creation, and I realized that engineering would be the best fit. Initially, I was unsure as to what type of engineering I wanted to pursue. After some research, I found that biomedical engineering incorporates aspects of many other engineering fields as well as physical sciences such as chemistry, biology, and physics. Therefore, studying this field would be as if I were studying all of these at once and give me the ability to potentially choose any of these as a career path.
In addition, I recognized that biomedical engineering has immense potential for growth as new discoveries are constantly being made. Not only would I already have a significant amount of knowledge of many other fields of study, I would also be on the forefront of science, making discoveries previously unknown to anyone else.
Most of all, I want to help and make a positive the as many people as I can. I recognized that as a biomedical engineer, if I could discover the mechanisms behind a disease or a new treatment method for a disease, I could potentially save thousands of lives. For this reason, I feel that biomedical engineering has the greatest direct impact on the lives of others over the other fields of engineering.
Ian McKnight
B.S. in Biomedical Engineering
Why did you choose Biomedical Engineering as your major?
As long as I can remember, I’ve always been fascinated by science and mathematics, so I knew from a young age that I wanted to pursue a career in STEM. I also suffer from many food, environmental, and animal allergies, and it is thanks to the efforts of biomedical engineers and other medical professionals that I am able to engage properly with the world around me—after many years of various treatments. I chose biomedical engineering as my major because I want to help those with allergies like I was helped, in order to bring them a better quality of life.