Shortly after Karl Stevens '15 graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University's College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA), he landed a job as a process design engineer with GE Power through the University's alumni connections and encouragement from professor of mechanical engineering Ivana Milanovic, PhD.
"The University prepared me academically with robust course work and set me up with a professional network making it easy to apply the knowledge," Stevens says.
In his job, he works with thermodynamic systems and relies heavily on knowledge of heat transfer and fluid dynamic principles, which are taught in core classes at CETA. "The professors' understanding of engineering in practice made my academic training very practical, which allowed me to easily enter the workforce," he says.
Ever since Stevens was 14 years old, he has been coming to the University. He started out as a camper with Summer Place and has since been a student, an employee, a volunteer, a resident, and now an alumnus.
Karl Stevens ’15, BSMEThe University has hosted some of my fondest memories and is where I have met some of my closest friends. I owe a great deal of academic and personal growth to the University and always enjoy coming back to see the school grow.
Stevens encourages new students to step outside of their comfort zone. He personally benefited from taking classes at the Hartford Art School, where he learned to weld and blacksmith.
"Many of my best memories were not strictly academic activities," he says. He also recommends new students to explore the many clubs and activities that the University offers.