The prestigious Engineering Graduate Merit Fellowship offered by the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University supports the research and educational journeys of select, outstanding doctoral students.
This year, six students were selected to be recipients of this competitive award. As they begin their studies and become the leaders of tomorrow, Bryton Praslicka, Ciera Cipriani and Austin Lim took a moment to introduce themselves.
Bryton Praslicka, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Q. What inspired you to be in electrical and computer engineering?
A. Scotty from “Star Trek” was the first spark for my interest in engineering. As I grew older my interest in renewable energy deepened. Once I arrived at Texas A&M, I visited with professors and graduate students and realized that one great path into the renewable industry was through electrical.
Q. What are you passionate about? How would you like to apply your area of study to that passion?
A. Renewable energy, energy storage and electric vehicles. Because of this passion, I conducted undergraduate research with Dr. Hamid Toliyat (Raytheon Professor in the electrical and computer engineering department) during my senior year. Our lab's research has commercial potential in each of these areas and we are among the leaders in the academic literature on advanced permanent magnet machines and magnetic gearing applications. I hope to start my own company or be a leader among engineers in the renewable energy industry with the experience I develop during my Ph.D. program.
Q. How does it feel to be selected for the Engineering Graduate Merit Fellowship?
A. I called my mom right away and told her (when I got) the news. I don’t think my feet touched the floor that whole day. Working in the lab this summer, I still go by Melissa Sheldon’s (graduate adviser) office regularly to thank her. It sounds silly to say, but this fellowship has changed the course of my life. It’s inspiring. I was selected for my work ethic and merit, and therefore I believe it is my duty to devote all of my energy to making an impact in academia and in industry.
Ciera Cipriani, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Q. What inspired you to be in materials science and engineering?
A. My interest in materials science and engineering started in my high school chemistry classes. I was fascinated with chemistry and decided to pursue an accelerated bachelor’s/master’s in polymer and color chemistry/textile chemistry at North Carolina State University. During my time there, I worked at the makerspace through the libraries, where I learned how to operate and troubleshoot a variety of 3D printers. From there, I interned at the 3D printer company Formlabs – gaining experience in material characterization and rapid formulation.
I ultimately chose Texas A&M because of the newness of the department, the abundant resources for performing research and because I could tell that everyone in the department is dedicated to student success.
Q. What are you passionate about? How would you like to apply your area of study to that passion?
A. I am fascinated by the impact that changing a material’s chemistry can have. Seemingly small changes in chemical structure can have a huge impact on material properties and behavior. I would like to use my knowledge of chemistry and materials science and engineering to develop materials whose behavior can be finely tuned for different applications. Specifically, I am interested in materials with properties that change in response to a stimulus, like light, heat or applied force. Developing knowledge on this topic will provide a range of material properties that can be tailored by both a material’s chemistry and the method by which it is produced.
Q. How does it feel to be selected for the Engineering Graduate Merit Fellowship?
A. I received an email that I had been admitted into the Ph.D. program, and was grateful to have been accepted and excited to visit the campus. As I read more of my admission letter, I saw that I had been selected for the fellowship. I really couldn’t believe it. I told my family and advisors, which helped me to process it. It is an enormous honor to have been chosen for the Engineering Graduate Merit Fellowship and I am thankful to the materials and science and engineering admissions committee for selecting me.
Austin Lim, Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering
Q. What inspired you to be in petroleum engineering?
A. My dad is a petroleum engineer, so I grew up around the industry. I remember when I was in elementary school, he would sometimes take me to his office on the weekends. I would look out the window at the oil refinery and ask him what all the different structures were and what they did. In high school, when I was deciding on my major, he would always half joke that I could become a petroleum engineer as well.
I've also always been a jack of all trades. Because of that, petroleum engineering was a very good fit, since the field integrates different disciplines and no two projects are ever the same.
Q. What are you passionate about? How would you like to apply your area of study to that passion?
A. I'm really passionate about learning new things. I try to bring this passion into petroleum engineering by looking at what things other industries have developed and if that can be applied to the oil and gas industry. This not only helps oil and gas keep pace with current technology, but also makes the industry more efficient as a whole.
Q. How does it feel to be selected for the Engineering Graduate Merit Fellowship?
A. My advisor was the one that broke the news to me. I was very surprised when I first found out, but it wasn't until I got the letter notifying me that I was selected did it all really sink in. Being selected is very thrilling because Texas A&M is one of the best universities in the world for petroleum engineering and to be recognized among all the talent here is a big honor.
Learn more about the Engineering Graduate Merit Fellowship and other graduate funding opportunities.