I love the beauty of engineering. It's a bridge between science and real application. I liked physics and chemistry in high school, especially the lab classes, so I decided to study materials science and engineering after I learned that it’s a major that deals with both physical and chemical properties.
I absolutely love working with my hands and the satisfaction that comes from seeing tangible results. I have always found great joy in solving puzzles and overcoming challenges. I am thrilled to be on this journey and grateful for the opportunities that have allowed me to pursue my dreams.
My research aims to improve the production of energy from biological waste products, diverting waste from landfills and producing a sustainable form of energy. I use enzymes produced by fungi to break down the main component of plant biomass, cellulose, into fermentable sugars.
I have always been a curious person, and I enjoy understanding how things work. This curiosity led me to pursue engineering. I love chemistry, and I also enjoy spending time outdoors. Therefore, environmental engineering seemed like the perfect field to combine my passions and skills.
I was inspired to study engineering by my high school calculus teacher, who recognized my knack for problem-solving and suggested I look into the field when applying to colleges. I was also very interested in medicine and pharmacology, which led me to apply for biomedical engineering (BME) programs to get a blend of the engineering mindset with the medical aspects and applications.
I am currently doing research on characterizing cancerous tissue within the THz band (between the microwave and infrared spectrums) to help identify the presence of cancer within the body through a simple and painless saliva sample. I love applying my interests in physics and photonics to help identify a very real problem that we all have been impacted by one way or another.
Throughout my high school life, I was good at these STEM-related classes, and I enjoyed them. I wanted to continue to study these topics for the rest of my life. That is the reason why I pursued studying engineering. I cannot say that engineering is an easy field, but what motivates me the most is to show that women can indeed be very successful in the engineering field.
When I started undergrad, I was an IT major intending to concentrate on Information Security, because I had looked at a cyber security engineering degree and thought it was too hard. During my first semester, I met with my Honors College advisor and when she looked at my credentials, and the math class I was taking "for fun" at the time (Calc 3 Honors), she questioned why I was not in a more challenging program.
The first time he learned about the science behind teaching, Materials Science and Engineering Assistant Professor of Teaching Amir Saeidi knew how he wanted to make a difference. The social sciences and humanities students in his pedagogical fellowship program were all familiar with concepts like active learning, but Saeidi had never seen anything like them in his engineering classes and decided he needed to use and promote that.
“I have gained so much support from AvenueE, and I would not be in the academic and professional position that I am in today without them,” Arroyo Donjuan said. “AvenueE has facilitated my access to multiple resources such as tutoring, success coaching, counseling, guest speakers, internship, and, scholarship opportunities.”
