2/9/2016 Cindy Brya
Written by Cindy Brya
Mehan, a senior from Elburn, IL, first learned about the field of materials science and engineering through the summer camps she attended at the University of Illinois. "I have always been intrigued by the ‘how’ and ‘why’ behind every object and process, and MatSE provides the means to explore that," Mehan explained. "Even with how thrilled I was to attend U of I to study MatSE, both the university and major have far surpassed my expectations as I have had far more opportunities than I could have ever imagined, as well as access to world-class professors, facilities and equipment."
Outside of class, Mehan has been involved in a wide variety of activities, including Material Advantage, the Society of Women Engineers, Student Introduction to Engineering (SITE) and Engineering Student Alumni Ambassadors (ESAA). She held committee positions on SWE for two years and held positions in ESAA for all 4 years, with her current position as chair of the organization. In addition, Mehan has worked as a tutor at CARE and an undergraduate research assistant in Prof. JJ Cheng's group.
"Being selected as a Knight is a tremendous honor," Mehan said. "I am very passionate about the university and all of the things that I am involved in on campus, which is why I have worked very hard to improve them in any way that I can, providing an even better experience for future generations of students." She is excited about going through the process of Knighthood with her fellow Knights and meeting past Knights.
After graduation, Mehan will go to work for AbbVie, a biopharmaceutical company located in the northern suburbs of Chicago. She will be in a rotational development program, with three 8-month rotations in different parts of the company. She hopes to spend one of those rotations abroad in Ireland or Singapore.