Student Spotlight: 2nd-year student Eva Stafne

Eva Stafne is a second-year student in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and starting off her time at UW-Madison strong. An entrepreneur, aspiring astrophysicist, and the newest president of ASME, Eva is excited to continue to explore what she wants to be, and all that UW-Madison has to offer!

What has your engineering journey been like? Did you ‘always’ want to be an engineer?

I really wasn’t sure what career path I wanted while growing up because I have so many different interests and hobbies that I love. I made a list in high school to narrow down the jobs I was interested in, such as being an author, astronomer, ski instructor, consultant, architect, sculptor, entrepreneur, and so on. What I realized was that being an engineer is a lot like being all those things at once. I get to write papers, communicate with others about problems and how to solve them, build models, design new ways to accomplish cool things, all while having opportunities to specialize in something super interesting like aerospace, medicine, or sustainability.

How did you decide to pursue Mechanical Engineering?

During the summer of my sophomore year of high school, I used my savings to buy a 1960s Winnebago camper trailer and renovated it into a food truck for my younger sister. This venture was what really helped me decide on mechanical engineering as a major because I loved designing, testing, and building something new and interesting. I learned how to install electrical and plumbing myself and “Roxy’s Waffles” became a licensed business in multiple states. Mechanical engineering so far has been exactly what I’d hoped, solving challenging problems by applying math, physics, and a creative, decision forward mindset.

Is there a specific area of ME you are interested in?

My current area of interest in Mechanical Engineering is aerospace/astrophysics. I began working with a professor in astrophysics my freshman year to complete research on the habitability of the universe. Through this continuing research, I’ve been able to hone skills like Python and data analysis, specifically on telescope data. In the future, I’d love to combine my knowledge in both engineering and astrophysics to discover new ways to look at stars and planets by developing telescope technologies, or even rocket technology to further explore the universe.

What are you looking forward to most about your time in ME or at UW?

I chose Madison because of its strong engineering program as well as its strong sense of community. I love attending football games, in addition to as many hockey, basketball, and volleyball games as possible. I like to read, ski, rock climb, and dance in my free time and Madison is a university where I’m able to share the enjoyment of those things with other people. I think I’m most excited about continuing to grow in academics as well as figuring out who I am and what I want to be on this little planet we call home.

Are you involved with any student organizations or research?

I was able to start research early on through the Undergraduate Research Scholars (URS) program. URS works with professors to help underclassmen gain a background in research and have past scholars lead weekly seminars with other URS students. I’ve been working on projects looking at the habitability of exoplanets with Professor Juliette Becker and the EXODYN group. It’s so fun to have both the freedom and guidance to discover new things in academia. During this past year as a freshman, I had my first research article published in the American Astronomical Society journals and was able to present at the research symposium on campus!

I’m the current president of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) on campus. I love running this club because it helps many students find professional connections in the industry while sustaining a fun, social environment for students to connect with other mechanical engineers.

As president of ASME, what do you hope to achieve? What is next for the group?

This year, we are working on continuing to build membership, which has been consistently growing in the past couple of years. My fellow officers and I also hope to involve new companies at our general meetings to introduce new career paths for mechanical engineers that haven’t been presented on in the past, like engineering consulting or sustainable design. As one of the largest student organizations on campus, we have many different aspects of our club. I initially joined the club as a member of the ASME Design Team, where we built a load carrying racing drone for a competition. This year, we are hoping to introduce a design team project where instead of competing, we attempt to help in the community by solving an existing engineering problem and building specific skills in the shop.

What might you share with other UW/Engineering students coming up behind you?

Don’t be afraid to ask for help or get involved on campus! UW has so many resources that are there to help, so schedule a meeting with career services or your professors to make connections and lessen the stress on your future self. I think I joined about 10 different clubs/student organizations during the first month of school and just stuck with a few I really liked, which helped me gain so many opportunities in both my academic and social life. I’m not an outgoing person by any means, but I know that I’m capable of putting myself out there. My biggest advice to anyone is that it’s okay to do stuff scared, because that’s how you’re going to grow.