Feature Stories 2022: Stephanie DeCarvalho: Benefiting from mentorship

Why did you choose to attend UMass Dartmouth?

"I chose to attend UMass Dartmouth because I live only an hour away. The ability to be able to transfer easily via the MassTransfer program was also a plus because I knew that I would not encounter any issues with getting my credits to transfer over easily. I also knew that the University had a very good Engineering program."

What drew you to your major, and how did you enjoy it?

"I have always been someone who loved math and science. Initially, my goal was to be a medical dosimetrist. While I had a passion for the subject, I was more interested in the math and physics portion of the science field. This led me to decide that engineering would be the best major for me. Out of the engineering field, mechanical seemed to be the most interesting."

How has UMass Dartmouth prepared you for life after graduation?

"UMass Dartmouth has prepared me for life after graduation by allowing me the opportunity to become invested in external research and opportunities that may have otherwise been inaccessible if I had not felt comfortable enough to reach out. I have been allowed to grow as a person and develop the mindset needed in order to achieve my goals.

By attending UMass Dartmouth I learned valuable time management and networking skills that have allowed me to broader my horizons and accomplish the things that are important to me. I know that when I am in the work field, I will be confident in the knowledge that I have gained in my education and be able to further it with the skills that I have learned."

Please tell us about your research studies.

"Under Dr. Jun Li, I was able to apply for the MA Space Grant through MIT. I am studying the computational investigations of additively manufactured polymer composites.  This research has given me more knowledge about computational analysis. I have also been accepted into three different conferences: COExperience in New Orleans, ASEE Northeast 2022 Conference in Boston, and the Northeastern Regional Student Symposium of Society for Experimental Mechanics conference taking place at UMass Dartmouth."

Do you have plans for after graduation? What do you hope to do?

"I am a part of the five-year MS/BS Program, so after graduation, I plan on attending UMass Dartmouth for graduate school to get my master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Since I am a part of this program, I am going to be able to get my masters in only 1 year if everything goes according to plan."