October Student Spotlight – Victoriia Grabovetska

Year in Program: 2^nd year Master’s Student

Advisor: Dr. Katrina Groth

Research interests: Electrolytic Hydrogen Production using High Temperature Steam

Master’s Thesis Topic: Failure Modes and Effects Analysis of a Solid Oxide Electrolyzer System for Hydrogen Production at Nuclear Power Plants

What drew you to engineering?

As a kid, I would always be helping my dad while he was renovating different areas of my childhood home. I was always curious about how things worked and why he would do certain things in the order he was doing them. When I started taking math and science courses in grade school, that was when I realized I wanted to continue to explore how and why different systems worked. So, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in engineering allowed me to learn the fundamentals of how various systems work.

What made you choose UMD and the ENRE Reliability Program?

As an undergraduate at UMD, I was introduced to the opportunities offered by the graduate school by my academic advisor during my junior year. Specifically, I had the opportunity to continue my education and earn my bachelor’s degree in addition to my master’s degree in 5 years. All I had to do was choose between earning an M.S in Mechanical Engineering or Reliability Engineering. One topic I knew I would enjoy pursing further was research in alternative and clean energy technologies. So, when I read about the Center for Risk and Reliability and the topics of research of the various labs, I knew the reliability program was going to be an exciting new journey in my education.

What do you want people to know about Reliability Engineering that they may not be aware of?

During my internships, whenever I talked about what I am studying, I was always met with mild confusion and a lot of curiosity because many people have not heard of reliability engineering. So, one thing I’d like people to know is that reliability engineering is a discipline that exists and works to solve complex engineering problems for a very broad range of engineering systems.

Fun fact about yourself?

I enjoy playing volleyball, dancing and reading fiction novels in my free time!

Published October 16, 2024