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When going through the process of college applications, the question of what I wanted to major in was equally as pressing and important as where I wanted to go. I always knew I wanted to study science and math, but I didn’t know what I specifically wanted to focus on. My interest in science manifested in middle school with the effort I put into annual science fair projects, from mixing acid with milk to determine the highest yield of milk plastic, to conducting a study about fingerprint shape similarity across siblings, analyzing wave patterns and tsunami behavior in my kitchen, and eventually growing algae from the Chicago River water in my bedroom. Once I got to high school, I fell in love with titrations and chemical reactions and detailed lab reports.

These experiences and projects cemented my decision to study chemistry, whether chemistry or chemical engineering. A major in chemistry seemed to focus more on learning and understanding specific chemical processes, while chemical engineering applies those processes to a much larger scale. Chemistry students tended to follow a more academia oriented career path, while chemical engineers tended to go straight into industry. There are many more differences, and there are exceptions to all distinctions, but I also found myself more interested in taking engineering classes, learning how to apply concepts to solve problems, and getting hands-on experience with engineering. Through research and talking to other engineers, I determined that with chemical engineering, I’ll be able to not only study the chemistry behind processes, but also design and implement creative solutions. I care a lot about sustainability, and the methods and motives behind carbon dioxide sequestration and utilization are incredibly interesting to me. Choosing chemical engineering meant getting a chance to help research and be a part of those solutions, and I’m excited for the opportunity to do so!

Sophie Gettelman

I am studying Chemical Engineering and I am from Chicago, IL. I will be graduating with the class of 2028. At USC, I am a CURVE Fellow with the Sharada Lab, where I help research the reduction of CO2 by organic photoredox catalysts. I am a Freshman Representative for USC's chapter of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and as a member of the USC Rocket Propulsion Lab, I helped with the launch of Aftershock II, a spaceshot that broke the student and amateur rocketry record for velocity and altitude of a rocket launch. I also volunteer with Mission Science through Viterbi Impact to help increase elementary students' interest in STEM and their motivation to pursue STEM careers.