Introduction:
I'm Shiv, a bioengineering major interested in improving crop sustainability, environmental resistance, and efficiency to improve global health and reduce resource use. As a research assistant, I work on projects with protein expression in cells, and I’ve made a lot of friends through research. I’m the fundraising chair for Tau Beta Pi (the engineering honors society–not a frat), and I serve as a co-chair on the University Student Judiciary Appellate board. Outside of academics, I’m a big fan of Maryland basketball, RUSH, and Formula One.
Why do you want to represent undergraduate students on the Engineering Senate?
Through Tau Beta Pi and my lab work, I’ve built strong friendships with students in all different engineering majors, and at all levels of study from freshman year to Ph.D. programs. The number of times frustrations with the Engineering department have come up in conversations–especially with my fellow undergrads–is too many to count. As a member of the Engineering Senate, I hope to use my position to relay the concerns of my peers, as opposed to simply trying to change what I personally think needs changing.
What is something you wish to accomplish as part of your Engineering Senate role or what is something you wish to strengthen or improve within Maryland Engineering?
Currently, while students are able to submit a proposal for change to the University Senate, no such procedure exists for the Engineering Senate. I believe setting up something as simple as a Google Form where students can express concerns and propose solutions to problems they encounter firsthand would serve as a massive leap in bringing students into the policymaking process. While I understand the powers of the Engineering Senate are limited, the ability to source concerns from students in a more efficient manner is something beneficial to all parties involved.
Introduction:
Hello all! My name is Ike Gbolagun and I’m a sophomore Mechanical Engineering major. I’m local to Maryland with Howard County being the place I call home. On campus, I’m a member of the Black Society of Engineers and the QUEST Honors Program. I often spend my time studying in office hours and hanging out with friends all over campus. I’m always in the mood for a good time, so you’ll often see me chatting with friends, faculty, and fellow students.
Why do you want to represent undergraduate students on the Engineering Senate?
As an avid office hour attendee and rising junior, I’ve seen firsthand how support drops off in upper level engineering courses. While the Keystone Center acts as a great resource for freshman and sophomore students,juniors and seniors have fewer tutoring options despite classes becoming more specialized and demanding. Smaller class sizes and tighter schedules also make it harder to find office hours that fit. If elected, I want to push the engineering school to invest in more quality TAs and UTFs and make academic resources more available for upper level courses. I especially want to expand tutoring options for smaller majors like chemical, materials, and bioengineering, who currently have limited resources.I want to represent undergraduate students because I’ve seen and felt how gaps in support can affect students, and I want to ensure our concerts are heard and acted on.
What is something you wish to accomplish as part of your Engineering Senate role or what is something you wish to strengthen or improve within Maryland Engineering?
As an Engineering Senator, I want to work with professors teaching upper level courses to create a more consistent and structured support system. This starts with increased engagement between professors, TAs, and UTFs, emphasizing regular communication about difficult topics and common gaps in student’s understanding. I want to push for at minimum one evening office hour per course so all students have a chance to get help. In tandem, I’d like to have more consistent exam review sessions and clearer expectations around office hours. This includes advanced notices for office hour cancellations wit make sessions being hosted the same week Lastly, I want to prioritize student awareness. A lot of students don’t know what resources are available to them, so I’d work to have professors regularly share tutoring and studying resources, with an emphasis on the first month of the semester.
Introduction:
Hello everyone! My name is Jordan Unikel and I am a freshman mechanical engineer here at UMD. I am originally from Philadelphia and a huge Eagles fan. On campus I am a member of the solid motor sub-team on terrapin rockets, a research assistant at the NEIT lab in cooling systems, and a member of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, although it’s still a work in progress. I also like to spend time outside playing sports like Spikeball, tennis, and football or just going for a hike and enjoying nature. Lastly, I’m a huge yapper and love to meet new people.
Why do you want to represent undergraduate students on the Engineering Senate?
The little things add up, and the engineering school is no exception. As a senator I want to help fix these smaller issues. I enjoy talking to other people and as a result I have heard of lots of these little things that are complained about and feel a desire to try and help these people. As a member of both a lab and competition team, I have gotten lots of variety in these complaints as well as lots of possible solutions. I want to put this experience into action to be a productive force within the Senate that can bring up issues and propose solutions, making engineering a little bit easier for everybody.
What is something you wish to accomplish as part of your Engineering Senate role or what is something you wish to strengthen or improve within Maryland Engineering?
Various people have mentioned that after joining a club they found it difficult to get involved without having any previous experience. As a senator I would like to help engineering clubs build programs for new members that will allow them to gain the skills necessary to make a long-term impact within the club. I also want to help make clubs more transparent by allowing students to have a better understanding of all of the different things they can do in any one club before even attending a meeting. An example of this would be having clubs building a large vehicle to have a flyer explaining the different sub-teams and what they do so students can better decide where they want to join based on desired skills and experience. In addition, I would have clubs fill out their Terplink better and emphasize it more as a resource for students to use.