News from Chemical Engineering

 

 

 

 

 

 

USA Today Names OSU ChE Senior to the
  2004 All-USA College Academic First-Team 

Annually, USA Today selects academic “all stars” and honors them by placing them in their All-USA College Academic Team. This year, Cassie Mitchell, OSU ChE senior, was named to their “First Team”, the top 20 college students in the nation regardless of college or discipline. The USA Today article appeared on February 12, 2004.

Cassie is committed to excellence, has a vision for contributing to human welfare through engineering, has the drive to stay on course in spite of her recent disabilities, and has the personal resilience that recovers from obstacles and setbacks. She is a strong academic performer, an independent researcher, a citizen volunteer, a team player, a student leader, and a happy, energetic individual.   Her story is one of a hero.

Formerly a track and rodeo athlete, Cassie is in a wheelchair, diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis.   This places no barrier on professional or mental ability; and true to the values of top athletes, Cassie did not let a disappointment dampen her spirit.   She refocused her energy, is on the 4-year track to graduate in chemical engineering, earning a 3.9 GPA in the biomedical option; while she plays competitive wheelchair basketball, participates as charter member of the ChemKidz program of outreach to K-6 students, and serves as President of the OSU Chemical Engineering Student Chapter. The chapter, incidentally, was named as “outstanding” for the 5^th year in a row by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE).   She is a 2003-4 National Goldwater Scholarship recipient (one of two in the State of Oklahoma, the other is also an OSU ChE undergraduate); and through her Wentz Project, she designed and built the fluidized-bed popcorn popper shown in her photo in USA-Today (far left, lower row).  The fluidized-bed popcorn popper demonstrates chemical engineering principles, and through continued funding from ConocoPhillips it will become a traveling unit that will enchant K-12 students, revealing the creative and fun side of the profession.

The photos here show Cassie at the recognition luncheon hosted by the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology. Brief speeches representing a variety of OSU functions (Chemistry, ChE, Scholars Development, CEAT, OSU, and the student body) honoring Cassie, were topped by Cassie’s concluding remarks that it was a team effort. She graciously thanked student teammates that shared notes and tutoring when she had to rely on others, and thanked faculty and teaching assistants who were willing to accommodate her schedule. She thanked the many OSU people, but especially her Mom, who continually encouraged her to keep striving in spite of the subtle and occasionally outlandish barriers that life presents to the physically disabled.

In cooperation with our Industrial Advisory Committee and Alumni, the ChE faculty developed some descriptions of the desirable attributes of engineering.   These include: “delivers something that works,” “places benefit to others as a primary concern,” “produces creative solutions,” and “is a collaborative, team activity.” Cassie embodies this.

She is personable, and attractive.   If ever there was a poster person to represent the values that we hold dear, Cassie is that person.   She is talented, ambitious, generous, resilient, energetic, and dedicated. She will continue to be an exceptional performer, and an outstanding representative of the best of the human spirit.

We are very proud of the entire OSU chemical engineering student body. Cassie is one example of the many outstanding students which are choosing this college, as shown by student achievements in other news articles on these pages.