Greetings from Rowan ECE! In this issue of "My Rowan ECE experience," we hear from a current ECE junior, Hayley Shuster. Hayley talks about her love of both biomedical and electrical & computer engineering, how she has been able to combine these two fields in our program, her experience with being involved in student clubs and being in the organizing committee of ProfHacks, as well as her engineering clinic projects, where she is designing machine learning controlled prosthetic arm. If you have not seen previous letters, you can read about Jeff's International Adventures and Alison's Extracurricular Experiences. Dr. Robi Polikar Professor and Department Head

April 23, 2021 Dear prospective student: Congratulations on your acceptance to Rowan University’s College of Engineering! This is a huge step towards a successful and rewarding future, and I’m so excited for you as you start this next chapter of your life.   My name is Hayley Shuster and I’m currently a Junior in ECE major, also specializing in Biomedical Engineering at Rowan. While I was in high school trying to decide which engineering discipline I wanted to major in, I was stuck between Biomedical Engineering (BME) and Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE). I ultimately chose ECE because of my interest in technology and the continually growing nature of the field. I knew that I would always have job options and would be working on something that would make a difference and allow me to keep learning. Since the ECE Department offers a number of options for minors, certificate programs, and specializations, I am also able to specialize in Biomedical Engineering, allowing me to take classes in both engineering disciplines that I’m interested in.

When I started at Rowan, I was excited, nervous, and a little overwhelmed. Transitioning from high school to college is a big change, but there are always people at Rowan who are there to help you, whether they be upper-class students, professors, or fellow classmates going through the same thing as you. A huge piece of advice I heard over and over when I attended open houses was to get involved, and I can’t stress how important that truly is. I joined two engineering clubs in my first year, the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). I’m so glad that I decided to join these clubs because I’ve made some really great memories with really great people by participating in their events. Through SWE’s mentor-mentee program, I was paired with an upper-class student whom I could ask questions and get advice from prior to starting classes. I also attended professional development workshops and fun activities run by SWE. At the start of my Junior year, I signed up to mentor two Freshmen through SWE. Then, towards the end of the semester, I ran for - and elected - as the current Events Chair for SWE, which helped me to get even more involved on campus and has given me valuable leadership experience.

I’ve also done a lot of fun things through IEEE. During my Sophomore year, I competed in the Sumo Robotics Kit Competition where myself and a group of friends assembled a robot and programmed it to push other teams’ robots out of a dohyo (a platform similar to - but smaller than that of - an actual sumo wrestling competition). The components we needed for the competition were provided to us. IEEE also held workshops to teach us how to assemble the robot and how to go about programming it.

Another event I’ve participated in, which is also one of the biggest events Rowan IEEE holds each year, is ProfHacks. ProfHacks is a 24-hour hackathon in which people compete against each other to win prizes for the best hack, which is a project they create using software and hardware components. I volunteered at this event during my Sophomore year and was co-lead of the Hacker Experience committee for the event during my Junior year. Our committee was responsible for choosing event merchandise for participants, volunteers, and leads, but more importantly, organizing workshops and activities to be held during the event, contacting professors, alumni, and industry professionals to judge at the event.

Some of my favorite memories at Rowan have come from my involvement in these clubs. I’ve also made some great memories through different aspects of the ECE program. I’ve been very fortunate to get paired up with people for group projects that I became friends with and really enjoy working with. Some of these groups were in my ECE classes, and others were in my Engineering Clinic classes. The clinic project I’m currently working on is the control system design for a prosthetic arm. This project allows me to combine my interests in BME and ECE and work on something that’s going to make a difference in the world. Our goal is to make a fully functional, affordable, and efficient prosthetic arm for amputees.

I’m so glad that I chose to come to Rowan University because of the endless opportunities I’ve had, the friends that I’ve made, and the professors that have advised me and helped me to learn. ECE is challenging, but if you put in the effort, ask for help when needed, and surround yourself with the right people, it’s absolutely possible to succeed in this program. Wherever life takes you next, I wish you all the best. You’re on track to do great things and I hope you’re so excited for what’s to come!

Hayley Shuster SWE Events Chair Electrical and Computer Engineering Biomedical Engineering Specialization Rowan University Class of 2022

Electrical and Computer Engineering Henry M. Rowan College of Engineering Rowan University Glassboro, NJ 08028 http://www.rowan.edu/ece