Acoustical Engineering and Music alum, Sebastian Lopez ’21, shared that the University of Hartford played a pivotal role in preparing him for graduate school. Sebastian is currently pursuing a Master of Science in Acoustics at another institution; however, during his UHart undergraduate career, he was unsure if he wanted to pursue a master’s degree. He credits the College of Engineering, Technology, and Architecture (CETA) for helping him determine that continuing his studies was the right choice for his career goals.
The Acoustical Engineering and Music program offers the course Engineering Research (ES 493), a research elective students can take with different professors within CETA. Each professor offers varied coursework in different research fields, however, Sebastian took ES 493 with Dr. Bob Celmer, Professor, and Director of the Acoustical Engineering Program
Sebastian shared that this course played a key role in guiding his decision to continue his education.
“In the class, we had a grad school acoustics textbook where we had to go through the chapters and prepare teaching notes. It was challenging at first, but the math equation coursework taught me how to problem solve.” Sebastian went on to share that the same material he studied in the prep course has consistently shown up during his graduate program.
Alongside the course, the Acoustical Engineering and Music program provided numerous opportunities for project-based experience. Sebastian explained that “Dr. Bob has some equipment that other students in the acoustics program and I got to use on occasion. I was able to get hands-on experience with how to make sound and vibration measurements, especially during my senior capstone project.”
After graduation, Sebastian accepted an internship at Hottinger Brüel & Kjær (HBK) as an Engineering Co-Op with the Sound & Vibration Engineering Services team in Canton, Michigan. This company makes acoustic equipment and software available for students in the acoustics program to use. During the interview process, Sebastian shared about his hands-on experience using HBK’s equipment in UHart’s acoustics program, and, as it turned out, the company’s previous Director of the Engineering Services Team knew Dr. Celmer, along with two other employees that are UHart Acoustics alumni.
Now halfway through his master’s program, Sebastian is conducting research in aerospace acoustics. Together, he and a team of other researchers visit a small airport and set up microphones at the end of a runway. Then, they fly drones over the microphones and take various acoustic measurements. He will be using the research to support his thesis.
If you are unsure about pursuing a graduate degree, Sebastian advised, “Don’t let fear, uncertainty, or doubt stop you from taking risks or going for new opportunities. Say “yes” to life and trust your future self to handle the situation. It’s only a matter of time, but once you’re there, you’re there. Wherever you go, there you are.”
Sebastian Lopez ’21, College of Engineering, Technology, and ArchitectureI was able to get hands-on experience with how to make sound and vibration measurements, especially during my senior capstone project.