Arjun Trivedi

Degree: B.S., Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Laurel, MD
Plans: Maritime robotics position, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab

“I’m an advocate for people in different majors meeting each other because in the real world the biggest problems are interdisciplinary. Speaking with people with different interests is a great way to broaden your horizons.”

Arjun Trivedi ‘22, M30, mechanical engineering, is passionate about engineering, computing, and connecting with people outside of his field, who have different perspectives. He wants to learn about what drives them, how they think about the world, and if they have advice that could apply to his experience. “Finding those connections and being able to take advice from everyone around you helps you grow,” he explains. 

Arjun Trivedi, right, works alongside another student in Deepa Madan’s lab.

As a leader of UMBC’s chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the nation’s oldest engineering honor society, Trivedi says that it was rewarding to be involved in the planning and execution of this year’s COEIT Engineering and Computing Week, held in February. The event offered students, faculty, staff, and alumni the opportunity to network and learn from each other.

Trivedi is a Meyerhoff Scholar, and shares that the sense of community and support that he receives from his peers and mentors is meaningful. Connections with other students in the program have led him to become involved in lab research and develop interests beyond his major. It was one of his peers who suggested to Trivedi that he consider minoring in computer science, given his interest in robotics. 

That nudge set him on the path to the research that he completed with Ankit Goel, assistant professor of mechanical engineering. Keith Harmon, director of the Meyerhoff Scholars Program, also put Trivedi in touch with contacts at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Lab to explore his career options. Trivedi will soon begin a maritime robotics position at the globally renowned research center.

Bryan Castillo

Degree: B.A., Business Technology Administration
Hometown: Columbia, MD
Plans: Working at the intersection of arts and tech

“There’s a really good support system at UMBC for someone like me—a transfer and first-generation student. There are groups for everything. I found the best support system for me.” 

Bryan Castillo with his artwork that was displayed at OCA Mocha.

Bryan Castillo ‘22, business technology administration, came to UMBC from Howard Community College as a first-generation college student with a clear vision on how he would succeed: making connections and exploring every opportunity. He wanted to combine his interest in art with his passion for technology. He also wanted to make sure he felt supported on his college journey and could make life-long friends.

Castillo worked with the UMBC Career Center to find opportunities that would match his interests—meeting to discuss his goals and attending career fairs. He was able to access a coveted internship with the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. 

“If it wasn’t for my own previous experience with databases, I would never have gotten the internship,” he says. He describes that experience as an important stepping stone to become more confident, build his resume, and grow as an in-demand professional in the field.

Still, he made time for friends, leadership activities, and developing as an artist. In addition to being active in UMBC’s Hispanic Latino Student Union and the running club, he exhibited his artwork at the OCA Mocha coffee shop and gallery near UMBC.

Bryan Castillo, third from right, with members of the UMBC Running Club. (Image courtesy of Castillo.)

Audrey Houck

Degree: B.S., Financial Economics
Minor: Mathematics
Hometown: Leonardtown, MD
Plans: T. Rowe Price Investment Fellowship

“Here at UMBC, there is a network of people behind me to make sure I am successful.”

Audrey Houck ‘22, financial economics, got a first-hand look at what a finance career involves day-to-day when she was paired with a mentor as an intern at T. Rowe Price. “This was my first time having work experience in the financial world, and it is very different from what you learn in the classroom,” Houck explains. “It’s a steep learning curve.” 

With her mentor’s support and guidance, Houck was able to create a strong project, which led to a publication in T. Rowe Price’s internal research data center. “It was amazing having someone there every step of the way to make sure that you can take what you learned in undergrad and effectively apply it.”

Following her successful internship with T. Rowe Price, she’ll begin there as an investment fellow after graduation.

Aiman Raza

Degree: B.S., Biological Sciences (Environmental Science minor)
Hometown: Baltimore, MD
Plans: M.S. in Biological Sciences at UMBC through ICARE

“I’m really passionate about activism and making change on campus. It’s meaningful, and it has allowed me to make some amazing connections on and off campus.”

During her freshman year, Aiman Raza ‘22, biological sciences, was walking through the tables at UMBC’s annual Involvement Fest when she came across the Greenpeace student organization, which focuses on environmental activism. The group captured her interest and, over the past four years, she has worked to help the organization grow its presence on campus. 

Raza was the group’s president during her sophomore and junior years. She says that this experience helped her develop her leadership skills, including during the challenging COVID-19 pandemic virtual events. 

She also is involved in UMBC’s Muslim Student Association, and the Pakistani Student Association. These student organizations host events and bring people together for social, cultural, and religious events, as well as lectures and discussions. Being involved allowed Raza to build strong connections and get to know people outside of her major and across campus. 

Raza serves as a mentor within the Biology Council of Majors as well. She meets with students who are earlier in their academic journeys, offering them guidance and support. 

At UMBC, Raza has conducted research with Kevin Omland, professor of biological sciences, and at the Institute of Marine and Environmental Technology, located in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor. She also completed a virtual summer internship with the Smithsonian, where she studied fish and crustacean communities on oyster reefs in the Chesapeake Bay.

Logan Hawker

Degree: B.S., Mechanical Engineering
Hometown: Mechanicsville, VA
Plans: Flight test engineer, Naval Air Station at Patuxent River, MD

“UMBC encourages exploration of all types and learning that gives students valuable experience beyond the classroom. At UMBC, you have so many job opportunities all around you.”

Logan Hawker ‘22, mechanical engineering, chose UMBC because she wanted to feel supported both in the classroom and on the softball field. She knew it would be a challenge to pursue an engineering degree as a D1 athlete, but thanks to careful time management and guidance from mentors, she has balanced her courses, her practice and game schedules, and several other meaningful opportunities, on and off campus. 

Hawker worked with Jamie Gurganus ‘04, M.S. ‘11, Ph.D. ‘20, faculty in mechanical engineering and associate director of engineering education initiatives, as the head teaching fellow for UMBC’s introduction to engineering design course. As a teaching fellow, Hawker held office hours for students in the course, answering questions and offering additional support. Hawker also oversaw the mechanical engineering 3D printing lab.

Off campus, Hawker served as an F-18 flight test engineer intern for the Navy at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Maryland. She developed flight test plans and briefed pilots, then monitored test flight data from a control room. She will work there full-time as a flight test engineer after graduation.