Interview with Andrea Tavera: Recipient of Outstanding Student Water Research Poster Award

-

Andrea Tavera, who earned a master's degree in civil engineering in December 2021, was recognized at the Oklahoma Governor's Water Conference and Research Symposium Outstanding Student Water Research Poster. Her winning poster was titled "Evolution of Low Impact Development Stormwater Control Systems for Runoff Peak Flow Reduction."   

Following is her story and path to an advanced degree in engineering.

When did your journey at OU begin?
I'm from Colombia. I first came to OU as an exchange student for a semester in 2018. I developed such strong relationships with professors and students that I returned in 2019 to earn my master’s in civil engineering with an emphasis on water resources. I graduated in 2021. 

Of course, those relationships were only the cherry on top of how amazing OU is as a university; the people, the events, the campus, the opportunities, the student associations, the squirrels ... there’s nothing quite like it anywhere else.

What was it like earning your advanced degree?
While getting my master’s degree, I built new amazing relationships with my coworkers, other students and professors, particularly with my thesis committee members. It’s because of what I learned from them that I am the woman I am today, and why I am where I am today, working for a top engineering company in the United States. Little 18-year-old Andrea in Colombia would have never believed such things were possible. 
 
Where are you now?
I am now living in Denver, Colorado, and I work as a junior water resources engineer for Jacobs Engineering Inc., a multinational engineering company with over 40,000 employees in the U.S. and a great number of offices around the world. I would like to work more in areas related to green infrastructure though! As the work I did for my thesis is really where my passion lies.


Popular posts from this blog

OU Engineering Welcomes 14 New Faculty Members for 2023-24

-
Image
OU Engineering has welcomed 14 new faculty members for the 2023-24 academic year. This marks a milestone in the college's growth journey, with faculty numbers increasing from just over 100 in 2017 to 175 in 2023. OU Engineering is committed to expanding its faculty ranks, aiming for over 200 faculty members by the 2025-26 academic year, says OU Engineering Dean John Klier. To achieve this goal, the college has initiated more than 20 faculty searches. The State of Oklahoma continues to acknowledge the need for more engineers. They recently responded to OU Engineering’s request for additional recurring funding. The funding will play a crucial role in offering undergraduate student tuition waivers, supporting graduate students and helping recruit new faculty and staff. These positions will be phased in over the next three years. "OU Engineering extends its gratitude for the ongoing support from the State of Oklahoma as it continues to address the growing demand for engineers,&quo
Read more

OU Engineering 1 of 28 Teams Nationwide to Receive DEPSCoR Grant

-
Image
University of Oklahoma engineering researcher Reza Foudazi, Ph.D., has been selected to receive a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Defense under the Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or DEPSCoR. The highly competitive grant was awarded to only 28 academic teams nationwide.  An associate professor in the School of Sustainable Chemical, Biological and Materials Engineering, Foudazi’s research centers on the exploration of electrochemical energy storage systems that incorporate multivalent ions. He says the systems are of interest due to their potential for higher energy density when compared to conventional lithium-based systems.  “We are dedicated to advancing the field of electrochemical energy storage. The primary goal of this research is to understand the fundamental design principles behind nanostructured thermoresponsive electrolytes for multivalent ions,” Foudazi said.  Foudazi's team will produce ionogel electrolytes by using block copol
Read more

OU Engineering Students Shine in Community Projects

-
Image
At the University of Oklahoma, a transformative course called Pathways to Engineering Thinking is leaving a mark on OU students and the community. In the first-year engineering course, over 800 students across 16 sections collaborated to tackle real-world challenges presented by community partners. Their projects ranged from developing prosthetic limbs for injured animals to creating innovative solutions for community gardens and zoos. The course aims to guide students through the engineering design process, emphasizing collaborative teamwork and problem-solving skills.  This semester’s projects reached many areas of the community. Partnerships with the OU Food Pantry, OU Community Garden, Oklahoma City Zoo, OU Engineering K-12 Outreach, a local dog rescue and the City of Norman provided students with real-world challenges to address. Each team delved into issues presented by the partners, working toward delivering functional design solutions by the semester’s end. The heart of the cou
Read more