Career Experiences

As an engineer, experience in the field is of utmost importance.  Sitting in a lecture can only teach you so much – it’s the hands-on, real life experiences that show you what working in the real world is life.  It gives you exposure to dealing with unfamiliar situations, different types of people, and problem solving.  The majority of my time in college has been devoted to projects, research, and volunteering, in order to gain those skills necessary to succeed in the workforce.  The following are activities I have participated in thus far:

PROJECT EXPERIENCE

Electroceutical Bandage Research & Development

Microsystems and Nanosystems Laboratory, Columbus, OH                                                       May 2019 – Present

  • Designing a portable adhesive bandage that produces electric current to promote wound healing.
  • Researching variations of lightweight batteries that generate sufficient current and voltage.
  • Performed a mice study to test for tissue regrowth in response to the electroceutical bandage.

 

Integrated Transportation System

The Ohio State University                                                                                                    January 2019 – May 2019

  • Collaborated with four team members to create and test an autonomous energy vehicle that solved an existing transportation issue to build economic/societal value.
  • Designed in SolidWorks, constructed prototype, and wrote weekly project reports.
  • Received 3rd place out of 16 at the First Year Engineering Design Showcase track competition.

 

Black Soldier Fly Waste Management System 

Columbus, OH/Nueva Esperanza, Honduras                                                                       January 2019 – May 2019

  • Designed and built a compost bin for an orphanage in Honduras with three team members as part of an engineering service-learning trip.
  • Managed a $1000 budget to oversee the materials for purchase in the USA & Honduras, wrote a proposal with project information, and presented project outcomes to a 40+ audience.

Recruitment, Outreach, & Welcome Committee Chair

Mount Leadership Society Scholars                                                                                           March 2019 – Present

  • Leading a committee of 20+ students to plan events to help recruit potential scholars.
  • Conducting tours for prospective students to inform them on the Mount Scholars Program.
  • Created high school visits initiative to reach a broader range of student recruitment.

 

Big-Little Chair

Society of Women in Engineering                                                                                                 May 2019 – Present

  • Fostering mentorship between women engineers through an upperclassman/underclassman pairing to create a supportive environment for women to achieve full potential in the workforce.
  • Planning and budgeting social and professional events for 100+ attendees.

 

 

Artifact – Year 2

During spring break of my first year, I participated in a ten day long engineering service learning trip to an orphanage in Honduras, where we implemented different engineering service projects.  As part of this, I took a class during spring semester, where we were split up into different project teams and researched/planned for our project.  The picture showcases my teammates and I with our finished project in Honduras, a compost bin.  This experience was truly incredible for a number of reasons.  Firstly, I was able to gain a lot of technical engineering skills.  We had built that compost bin completely from scratch, and I gained a lot of first hand experience/problem solving skills that I would not of gained otherwise.  More importantly though, for me, was the cultural immersion.  Spending that time abroad really allowed me to learn more about the culture in Honduras, and I really enjoyed getting to know the children and staff at the orphanage.  While it was difficult to say goodbye, I came back to the US with a broader perspective of life around the world, and this is now a perspective which I consider in my everyday life.  Participating in this trip was truly life-changing, and I am extremely grateful to have had this experience which has taught me so many valuable skills and lessons.

Artifact #2

This picture shows me and my fellow Mounties engaging in an activity during Mount Summit, an event that kicked off leadership month.  During this activity, each member of the group was assigned a different task, and as a team, we were to create a certain shape with given materials.  Possessing teamwork skills is crucial to succeeding in all life endeavors.  There will be so many instances in and out of the work field where one will be required to work in a team, and it is of utmost importance to be able to respectfully and cooperatively work with others.  I believe is it as important to know how to work in a team, as it is to individually know how to the work itself.  In a team, it is necessary to be open minded/respectful of other people’s opinions, pull your own weight, and have good communication between members.  Communication is also essential to the success of any team – lack of this can lead to many unnecessary issues.  I am very grateful to have opportunities given to me through Mount that enhance my teamwork skills.

Kavya’s About Me

Hi! My name is Kavya Narayanan, and I am currently a pre-Biomedical Engineering major.  After undergoing scoliosis surgery at the age of 12, I immediately knew that in the future I wanted to be working in the hospital.  After doing some research, I found that Biomedical Engineering provides the perfect opportunity for me to pursue my interest in math and science, while still being able to help others.  Outside of school, I have always carried a passion for music and dance.  For the past 13 years, I have been learning Bharatanatyam, an Indian classical dance.  In October 2017, I had my Rangapravesham – a student’s debut solo performance.  The recital lasts around two and a half hours long, and requires a year of intensive one-on-one training with the teacher.  In addition to dance, I have picked up many instruments over the years.  I began playing the piano in elementary school, played the cello and upright bass in middle and high school, respectively, and in between I decided to teach myself how to play the guitar.  Dance and music has been an integral part of my life since I was young, and I have met some of my best friends through these activities.  It also serves as a source of stress relief for me.  Throughout high school, I have always been involved in different leadership positions.  Every Friday, I helped my dance teacher teach the younger classes, and often was given the opportunity to conduct the whole class myself.  My junior year, after going through an application process, I was selected to be a mentor for my school’s freshman mentoring program.  I had enjoyed that year so much that my senior year I applied for the Leadership Board, and was selected as recruitment chair.  Finally, a fun fact about me – I love trying new food!  I am so excited to explore all that Columbus has to offer.  OSU has already been an amazing time, and I am thrilled to see where the next four years takes me.

Semester in Review

My first semester in college was definitely nothing like I had expected it to be.  Coming in, I thought I knew what I was doing.  I had a good work ethic in high school that I was going to transfer to college, I was excited to meet new people, and just in general I thought I had a good grasp on what college was going to be like.  Only after moving in and starting to live it did I realize how different my life had become.  Every aspect of life was different, and I was challenged in ways I had never been before.  It was a shock at first, but I soon learned how exactly to do things here.  Initially, I was very overwhelmed by the workload of my courses.  I had taken AP and IB classes in high school so I was used to hard coursework, but college was a whole new ball game.  I found myself studying and working for hours on end, without giving myself breaks.  Since I’m anpre-engineering major I have to apply this spring semester, and the most important factor of the application is my GPA, so I found myself putting so much pressure on myself to do well.  However, I slowly realized that this method was not effective.  I told myself that when I graduate, I didn’t want to look back at my time in college and realize all I did was study.  So I started to work on giving myself a good balance between it all.  This semester I plan to continue to work hard to do well and hopefully get into my major, but also enjoy myself and all that Ohio State has to offer.  First semester was a transition period and I learned a lot about myself and what I wanted, and I think that this semester is starting off on the right foot.

G.O.A.L.S.

Global awareness – Last spring break, I participated in a ten day long engineering service learning trip to an orphanage in Honduras.  I took a class prior to the trip, during which we were split into different project teams that each addressed a different social justice issue.  After signing up for the trip, I honestly had no idea what to expect.  I went in with an open mind, eager to gain a broader global perspective.  And I definitely was able to accomplish this – spending ten days completely immersed in the culture of Honduras and interacting with the locals exposed me to different ways of life that I did not even know existed.  Day to day life there is so much different than it is here in the United States, and I came back home with a new perspective that I now always consider when completing anything.

Original Inquiry – as of this summer, I have been working as a research assistant in the Microsystems & Nanosystems Laboratory on campus.  I wanted to gain research experience because I knew it would be a valuable hands-on experience that I would not gain by sitting in a lecture.  Working in this lab has not only helped me gain critical knowledge that is applicable to my major, but also helped me think in certain ways that I did not before.

Academic Enrichment – This semester has proved to be the hardest one I have had so far.  At 17 credit hours plus lots of extra time being put towards my extracurriculars, I have really had to learn how to manage my time.  However, everything I’m doing I’m enjoying – whether that be my extracurriculars or my classes, I put forth 100% of my effort no matter how hard it gets sometimes.

Leadership Development – As a committee chair for my scholars program, I have learned valuable leadership skills.  For example, every week, along with my two other co chairs, I lead a committee meeting with around 20 members.  I have had to learn how to efficiently conduct these meetings to accomplish everything we need to, while also keeping the committee members engaged.  In addition, by working with two other co chairs, I have learned a lot about effective communication which is crucial for any sort of success.

Service Engagement – As a second year in the Mount Leadership Society Scholars program, I am committed to completing 75 hours of service during this year.  I am volunteering at the Community Kitchen, a soup kitchen in Columbus.

Career

[“Career” is where you can collect information about your experiences and skills that will apply to your future career.  Like your resume, this is information that will evolve over time and should be continually updated.  For more guidance on using your ePortfolio, including questions and prompts that will help you get started, please visit the Honors & Scholars ePortfolio course in Carmen. To get answers to specific questions, please email eportfolio@osu.edu. Delete these instructions and add your own post.]

Artifacts

This picture shows a service project I participated in, Empty Bowls, done with Mount Scholars during launch week.  For this project, all of us made two clay bowls, and then glazed them.  In a few weeks, we will sell the bowls with all proceeds going to the Mid Ohio Food Bank.  I selected this as my artifact because it was the first service project I was involved with after moving into Ohio State.  Service has always been an important aspect of my life, and through Mount I am able to continue this in college.  Empty bowls provided a fun way for us to help the community.  Food insecurity is a really prevalent issue, and many people depend on places like the Mid-Ohio Food Bank to get their meals.  I know that every single bowl we sell will be very helpful to those who need it, and I am so grateful to have been able to take part.