Lisa Carr — Research Award
CBEN
Post-graduation plans:Pursuing a PhD in chemical engineering at the University of Washington Seattle
"This award recognizesundergraduatestudents with demonstrated excellence in research."
What is your favorite memory from your time at CU Boulder?
One September day in 2019, a cat wandered into my apartment. I named him Kevin, then took him home,and he's been a good boy ever since.
What accomplishment are you most proud of, either academically or personally?
Living apart from my family forced me to learn to cook for myself. I’m still learning, but I always manage to eat three meals a day! My favorite things to make are Japanese curry with lots of potatoes, and sandwiches. (I love sandwiches.)
Tell us about a moment (or moments) when you felt like you hit your stride or felt like you were “officially” an engineer.
I first felt like a "real"engineer during my co-op at Moderna. I initially felt unqualified for the position, but having my opinions be heard and my work recognized by the company made me realize that I can make a real impact on people as an engineer.
What was the biggest challenge for you during your engineering education? What did you learn from it?
I really struggled taking online courses during COVID-19 because I felt I was just going through the motions of school, which deeply unmotivated me. Unexpectedly, an opportunity to take a gap year came along, so I took it. It seems that gap years generally have a stigma, and frankly I never thought I would take one. However, I learned that it’s okay to take as much time as you need and to not compare your journey to others. It’s definitely easier said than done, but everyone finds their place eventually, and it’s okay if your path doesn’t go as planned. There are so many different opportunities and options, but you never know until you try!
What is your advice for incoming engineering students?
It’s cliché, but engineering is very hard — it takes a village to earn this degree! Four years is a long and short time. Take the time to find what’s right for you, but also be proactive and take advantage of as many resources as you can, such asresearch programs, career workshops and reaching out to professors.There is so much more beyond schoolwork, and I think CU Boulder, my department included, needs to work on promoting opportunities to underserved communities. As an undergrad, I didn't realizethese resourceswere available, and I regretnot being more proactive from the start.