AAEES

A Story About an Engineering Student

Joelle Taylor Solowiejczyk, University of Miami

Experiences with family, spirituality, friendships, and curiosity have defined my intellectual development. My mother's feminist values, my father’s rational optimism, and my grandparents' immigrant roots instilled in me a profound work ethic. I have internalized that opportunities are unlocked with hard work, coupled with a sense of humility regarding unearned privileges. Both at home and in class, the enrichment I gained from my religious heritage cannot be understated. Confronting dialectical polarities in religious texts encouraged me to embrace contrasting viewpoints and synthesize them to cultivate a comprehensive picture. For me, embracing the “devil’s advocate” perspective extends beyond friendly debates to how I conduct myself in every personal and academic situation.

Before university I embarked on an untraditional gap year, “Kivunim”, an academic and spiritual study experience in Israel/Palestine, Greece, Bulgaria, and India. While in India, a volunteer opportunity compelled me to pivot my educational path from aerospace to environmental engineering. In a slum just outside Cuffe Parade, Mumbai I noticed an elderly man bathing in a polluted river and young children playing in and drinking the same water downstream. The sight made me feel both emotionally distraught and inspired. In that moment I vowed to channel my academic affinities in STEM to contribute to the global water security effort by dedicating my career to the engineering and sustainable management of equitable water systems.

Since beginning my undergraduate studies at the University of Miami, through coursework, research, and internship experience, I have come to appreciate the necessity of multidisciplinary cooperation in environmental engineering. Water Resource Engineering and Senior Design courses juxtaposed with my Global Water Security course sparked my understanding of how single-sector solutions tend to develop over cross-sectoral solutions. My research experience in the University of Miami Water Quality Engineering Lab provided me with firsthand experience of nuanced technical innovation. I was able to cultivate my attention to detail, and sense of comfortability with advanced laboratory equipment while assisting in the analysis of autonomous net zero water systems using high entropy alloys in small electrochemical reactors. During my internship experience at Stantec, I was able to develop my technical acumen while working with Professional Engineers on numerous projects including water treatment plants and pump stations. Through these experiences and many more, I began to contemplate water insecurity from a combined perspective, namely how effective tailored solutions could be that proactively consider the technical, social, political, and economic aspects of water systems.

As my experiences evolved, I refined my plan to contribute to and progress the field. While resolutions to equitably improve resilience to water instability can be based in engineering, the issues stifling innovation are often a synthesis of complications. My career goal is to create a water-focused consulting firm, equipped with visionaries that embrace the inextricability of water-issues and seek intersectional solutions. With an interdisciplinary solution team assembled from inception, it becomes feasible to optimize solutions and consider the network of causal relationships and trade-offs between disciplines. 

Following my graduation from the University of Miami, I am considering a number of Masters programs focused on the intersection of water management and science. I have also been selected as a US Fulbright Scholar Open Research semifinalist and am awaiting final notification. When I’m not working on my studies or extra curriculars, I love hanging out with my friends, cooking, baking, yoga, and fitness.

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#eweek24 #environmentalengineer #environmentalscience #nationalengineersweek #engineeringstudent Joelle Solowiejczyk University of Miami