Major: Industrial Engineering
Hometown: North East, PA
On choosing Behrend: Penn State Behrend allows for a great student-athlete experience, and it was the best option for me to get a Penn State degree in a quality engineering program while continuing to play two sports that I love at the collegiate level. This was possible because of the flexibility of the coaching staff.
Two-sport athlete: I was a member of Behrend’s swimming and diving team and the golf team.
The benefit of participating in athletics: It was a great opportunity to make friends starting college in an unprecedented time (COVID-19), and it’s taught me some important life skills, like time management, responsibility, and work ethic.
On choosing her major: Originally, I was going to do the 2+2 program, but I wanted to stay at Behrend. I sat down with (the late) Dr. Dipo Onipede, associate director of academics and associate professor of mechanical engineering, who helped me determine which engineering program would be the best fit for my interests. I decided on Industrial Engineering because it is very “big picture.”
Campus involvement: Member of the Materials & Manufacturing Group club, the swimming and diving team, and the golf team.
Awards and honors: 2023 AMCC Diver of the Year, two-time AMCC diving champion, first place for Technical Report in Steel Founders’ Society of America’s (SFSA) Cast-in-Steel Competition.
What makes her unique: Although I am an Industrial Engineering major, I had the opportunity to work alongside students outside my major on a Mechanical Engineering capstone project. We used our individual strengths from our different disciplines to create a Halligan bar (a multi-purpose tool used by firefighters) that competed in the global SFSA Cast-in-Steel competition.
What you’d be surprised to know about her: I used to be a horseback riding instructor.
Highest priority for the coming years: To learn as much as I can and meet as many new people as I can because industry is not only about what you know but also who you know.
Advice for first-year students: College is all about time management. You need to learn to balance and set priorities. Once you get a handle on it, get involved. Behrend has so much to offer!
Julia has accepted a position as a field engineer for Whiting-Turner in