One should not be daunted by the achievements of others; be polite and people will warm up quickly.
Name: Stephen King (Cohort 9)
Major: Electrical Engineering
What Community College did you transfer to the University of Maryland from?
Community College of Baltimore County
Why did you decide to attend the University of Maryland and the A. James Clark School of Engineering?
I wanted to stay in Maryland and UMBC didn't have Electrical Engineering.
What was the name of the lab you worked in and the nature of the work?
I worked in the Space Systems Lab at the University of Maryland. My work focused on electrical power systems.
Give a brief description of your research project.
I designed and built a charging station for one of the lab's rovers - Raven.
How would you describe the research process to someone who has never done research?
For me, it was like “throwing spaghetti at the wall until something stuck”. A lot of trial and error, but I wasn't in a traditional research role so much as an application of and implementation of the best possible design for the need.
What were your major takeaways from the experience?
Hands-on application of my education will be a major part of learning how to do a job well. I learned that there are a lot of steps in a design process—when I thought I had thought of everything I always found there was more to work on.
How have your career or academic goals changed or evolved as a result of this experience?
I've included robotics in my focus for future job prospects, something that I hadn't considered before.
Top