Brian S.
Class of 2012
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Hometown: Aberdeen, NJ
Major: Environmental Engineering
Current residence: Off-campus apartment
Past residences: Wolman Hall—Check out my Cribs video, Charles Commons
Campus involvement: Admissions Office student worker, Student Admissions Advisory Board, Admissions Representative, Engineering Ambassador, Alumni Student Ambassadors executive director, HOP executive board, Research in Environmental Engineering, Senior Class Gift Committee Co-Chair
Why I chose Johns Hopkins: As a prospective engineer, I wanted to go to a place where I would find a great, practical engineering education but also be surrounded by people who are doing things other than engineering. My best friends at Hopkins have majors with a diverse range from international studies to chemical engineering. I loved the campus environment—all the benefits of city life with a grassy, beautiful campus. During my visit, I met great, friendly, dynamic people. It fit.
Favorite class: One of my favorite classes was probably Advanced Communication Skills for Scientists and Engineers. I took this class my sophomore year with two senior undergraduates and seven PhD students. The class was based in the Professional Communication program of the Center for Leadership Education. The goal of the course was to take students involved with research and show them how to best communicate their results to a variety of audiences. We went through oral presentations, poster sessions, a mock grant review and defense, and even resumes and cover letters. The professor, Julie Reiser, was always willing to work with us individually and really structured the course so that we would be able to achieve our individual goals. I could easily see how this course would be helpful in my career.
Favorite professor: Hedy Alavi, who taught my Intro to Environmental Engineering and Solid Waste Engineering and Management classes. Hedy (as he requests that we call him) is an amazing lecturer who managed to inspire every member of our class to feel passionately about the environmental issues that we discussed. He also displayed such kindness to us, from his "open door" office hours policy to giving us extra time to submit problem sets if we were having trouble. His use of design projects shows students how to actually apply the material learned in class.
Why I'm glad I chose Johns Hopkins: I've been incredibly fortunate here. I've had the opportunity to meet incredible alumni at events around the country, to work in our Admissions Office and play an (albeit minor) role in the recruitment of future Hopkins students, to work with a team of amazing students to organize and plan a concert for 1,800 people, to conduct research with some of the top academics in my field, and so on. Through all of the opportunities I've had here at Hopkins, I am constantly being taught that I can do things that I never thought possible—an incredible lesson.
Favorite Johns Hopkins memory: One of my favorite Hopkins memories was snow week during the Blizzard of 2010. I really enjoyed having a whole week with my friends to just hang out and not have to deal with classes, homework, and all our other responsibilities. There is just something fun about being snowed in!
What I want to do with my major: A question I wonder about often! Ultimately, I think I would like to obtain a PhD in environmental engineering. I've really enjoyed conducting research while here at Hopkins and I suspect that research of some sort will play a large part in my career. I'll probably enter the workforce for a few years following graduation, perhaps as a consulting engineer or as an environmental engineer in the marine industry (read: on a cruise ship) so that I have the opportunity to travel a bit. I'm also considering master's programs in diverse fields like urban design and environmental planning. We'll see.
Coolest (spring/summer/winter) break experience: Seeing the Johns Hopkins glacier while on vacation in Alaska with my family!
Three unusual things about myself:
- I'm legally blind in my left eye.
- I'm an only child.
- At one time, we had seven cats at home.
