26

Jonathan Lavoie

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, ‘26

I was first introduced to the research opportunities at UWF through a friend. She was working on an autonomous submarine for the RoboSub competition, and their group needed more people. I accepted and had the opportunity to join the Summer Undergraduate Research Program for the RoboSub project. I was given the opportunity to design a claw and claw control system that would easily integrate into the sub’s computer system, as well as a hydrophone system. While we worked on the RoboSub, we participated in weekly career development workshops. With such a rigorous program, I was grateful for the dedicated professors who empowered me every step of the way.

I believe that we, as students, learn better when there is a good student-teacher relationship. Dr. Tarek Youssef, associate professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, mentored me during the RoboSub project. I’ve been meeting with him just about every week since January, and I’ve learned a lot from him, including the soft skills needed to be a successful engineer. He takes a genuine interest in his students, and always pushes them to learn new things. Dr. John Stutz, assistant professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department, often takes the time to discuss my future career and recommend relevant courses. He has been so instrumental in my success that I will be doing a directed study with him next semester helping him design an anti-drone turret. My professors and mentors understand that to be a good engineer it takes more than knowledge; it takes problem solving. Assignments or research projects might not always be by the book, but they require us to hone our creative problem solving skills, empowering us to succeed.

Between the friends who had my back during research, the programs that pushed me to succeed and the mentors I immensely respect, I have been empowered to take on each new challenge with creative critical thinking skills.