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> College of Engineering >EMPower
Women in Engineering - Advisory Council
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Amanda Andrikopolous
I am Amanda Andrikopoulos, a junior in industrial engineering. I am from Billings, Mont. When I came to MSU, I didn’t know what I wanted to do with my education. I started in general engineering because I like challenges and heard that engineering is one of the most difficult and demanding majors. However, I wanted to major in everything—psychology, physics, calculus, sociology, and English. My advisor at the time was an industrial engineer and he steered me toward IE. The field fits me well because it involves the social sciences and the physical sciences, as close as I can come to really majoring in everything. In my free time, I play the violin. I have played for more than 10 years, and in high school I played in the Billings Symphony. Now my sister and I play for weddings or special events and I play alone just for fun. |
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Sydney Arthur
My name is Sydney Arthur and I grew up in Bozeman, Mont. This is my fourth year in Civil Engineering. The reason I chose Engineering was because I love Montana’s mountains and streams and wanted a job that would let me stay here while still making a decent living. Also, I would rather work problems out than reading boring textbooks.
I am not going to lie to you and say it has been great. It has been hard, and it will be hard for you. The hardest thing for me was not letting a grade be the determination of my worth as a person. Sometimes as women we take it personally. A 50% on a test does not mean you are a below-average person. You can still be an incredible woman no matter what number your professor puts on your test. Rise to the challenge, and you will receive the reward you deserve in the end for your hard work.
My advice to you: don’t overload on credits (take your time), and get involved on your campus. Get involved in study groups and tutoring sessions; they really help because you realize you are not alone and your questions do have answers. Also, in extracurricular activities you will gain leadership qualities, and you will have a support team to hold you accountable when you want to give up. It’s college, so have fun and grab hold of the opportunities that you only have in that college environment (join organizations, study abroad, hike a mountain, take a fly fishing class).
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Rikki Boyle
My name is Rikki Boyle and I'm a Bozeman native who developed an interest in computers when I was about 10 years old. The long Bozeman winters had me staying inside drawing pictures in Paint, which eventually led to an interest in understanding the background behind the programs. A strong interest in science and math fueled this curiosity through high school and eventually, following the family tradition, I entered into Computer Science at MSU in the spring of 2003. When I'm not hiding in the lab, I enjoy reading, window shopping downtown and dancing for hours on end. |
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Amber Broadbent
I'm a Great Falls, Mont., native who had a wonderful experience in my science classes at Great Falls High School. Between my natural interest in science and the encouragement I received from my friends, family and teachers, I felt confident that pursuing a career in a science or engineering field would be challenging and fulfilling to me. During my collegiate career, I received similar encouragement and support from my professors and mentors at MSU, and in May 2004, I graduated with a B.S. degree in Chemical Engineering. I spent the next two years working for a pharmaceutical research and development company called Bend Research, Inc. in Bend, Ore. I worked primarily on process development and process scale-up projects during my time at BRI, and while there, I learned that I enjoy engineering research and I gained confidence in my abilities. With BRI's support and sponsorship, I returned to MSU in September 2006 to begin working on my graduate degree in chemical engineering. I'm thrilled to be here and grateful for the many opportunities I have had which led me to where I am today. If you have any questions about the opportunities available to women in engineering, please feel free to contact me.
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Jennifer Hornemann
I graduated from Nacogdoches High School in 1995. I earned a B.S. in Physics from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1999 and an M.S. in Chemical Engineering from University of Arkansas in 2000. In 2001, I started with GE as a design engineer at the Gas Turbine facility in South Carolina. In 2003, I transferred to GE Wind Energy in California to work as a field engineer. Currently, I continue to work part-time for GE as a project engineer while attending MSU full-time to complete a PhD in Chemical Engineering. |
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Nina Smith
My name is Nina Smith. In high school, I gained an interest in engineering. Focusing my electives toward engineering, I took as many electronics, computer, and advanced placement classes as possible. I graduated from Hillcrest High School in May 2003. Upon graduation, I accepted an Air Force ROTC scholarship for electrical engineering. I currently pursue a bachelor’s degree at MSU. My interest in robotics and engineering drives further exploration and learning in all aspects of electronics. |
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| profiles to come for these members... |
Kirstin Leonhardt, Jaime Linnerooth, Kirsten Schipf and Britney Singh |
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