Meet Breanne Muratori — Featured Student for January

What is your name? Breanne Muratori Where are you from? Enfield, CT What school do you go to? What year are you? University of Connecticut, Senior Do you hold any positions in your AIChE chapter or with AIChE nationally? Student Chapter President Describe an event in your chapter that you are most proud to have been involved with. Last year we held a mock interview event where professionals came in and interviewed students and then gave them feedback on how they could improve their interviewing skills. The students who participated said this event was very helpful. What are your plans after graduation? In what field are you most interested in having an impact? I will be pursuing a PhD after graduation and I will hopefully be working in the field of tissue engineering. I would also like to stay connected to AIChE, specifically with student chapters. How do you blow off steam and keep your sanity between classes, homework and projects? To keep my sanity when trying to handle classes, research, AIChE duties, etc., I have recently begun rock climbing. UConn has a decent sized climbing center that's fully equipped with everything we need. A few of my friends and I end up climbing for a couple hours in between classes and studying. Its amazing how climbing (and falling) lets out so much stress. I also like to go for long runs through the woods when I'm stressed and need a break from staring at computer screens, titrations, or thermocouples. Which of your undergraduate classes have you most enjoyed? I have really enjoyed taking our Senior Lab course here at UConn. My professors and teaching assistant have gamified the course, giving us motivation to achieve goals like peer reviewing reports. It has also initiated friendly competition among my classmates. I'm hoping next semester will be Harry Potter themed. How did you decide to pursue a degree in ChE? I decided to become a CHEG (UConn's term for ChE's) through a high school teacher of mine who was formerly a chemical engineer. He brought practical applications of the chemistry we were learning into the classroom, which made it all so much more interesting. I also wanted to do something that was challenging. I felt that chemical engineering really fit what I wanted to study. What is the best kept secret on your campus? Some of UConn's best kept secrets are the swing by mirror lake on a warm summer day, the brew cave, and free prints for engineers. But I can't tell you more about them, otherwise they wouldn't be secret anymore.


Can you spot Breanne?

What are you most looking forward to after graduation? I'm looking forward to diving into a research project on a whole new level when I start my PhD in the fall. I can't wait for long hours in the lab, working hard toward solutions that could save the world...or just getting my next publication out. But honestly, I really am looking forward to being able to devote myself to research, to be able to make a significant contribution to a project in a way that hasn't been possible in my undergraduate career.

What will you be most saddened to leave behind at school when you move on? I'll be most sad to leave behind all my CHEGs when I leave UConn. I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to get to know so many of them through AIChE. I hope they have gotten as much out being a member of AIChE as I have. I will also miss the team room in E2 (an engineering building) where countless hours of thermodynamics homework was done. Lastly, I will miss nickel night at Thirsty's on Thursday Nights with so many of my senior CHEGs. Where else can you find 50 cent pitchers? What is the most unexpected thing you have been asked in an interview? Luckily, I have never been thrown a real curve ball in an interview thus far. However, I did have a friend tell me that she was asked what kind of animal she would be if she had to choose. I'm still trying to work out my answer to that question. I'm leaning toward a giraffe so I can reach all the way to the top. Do you have any advice to incoming students and underclassmen ChEs around the world? When I came in as a freshman, I was repeatedly told to get involved in student organizations. I would tell incoming student to do the same. Being involved in organizations has not only strengthened my resume and given me so many resources, but it has also led to the best times with some of my best friends. What's your first thought when you wake up in the morning? My first thought on a typical morning is: "When will I be able to get a full night's sleep?" If your initials (first/last or first/middle/last) stood for something other than your name, what would it be? British Magicians How would you like to be involved with AIChE after graduation? I would still like to be involved with student chapters after graduation. I want to encourage students to be involved so they can experience what I have through AIChE. What email address can our readers use to contact you? breanne.muratori@gmail.com

Join us in CONGRATULATING Breanne by commenting below.

Comments

May's picture

Congrats on your many achievements, Breanne! Best wishes as you wrap up your senior year and move on to a more research-based journey!